1853 Gold Dollar

Picked this up recently and would appreciate any comments about condition and originality. The 1853 from Philadelphia is the most common type, of course. I think the actual wear is pretty light, but the 8 and 5 appear quite light. I'm wondering if they are poorly struck rather than worn because the details above and below it do not show wear. Also, does the finish appear original or altered/cleaned?




Any and all comments are welcome!

Rob

 

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I know I buy these a lot, and seem to find many do have very light dates

 

Weakness on the date is common for the dollar gold coins since it is opposite the highest portion of the obverse and with such a thin planchet there is not enough metal to fill both sides completely. As to grade there are others more familiar with the gold coins than I to answer that for you.

 

As Ed Sims points out the design tends to lead to lightly struck dates. Your coin shows a little high point rub but no wear that I can see.