United States: 1855 gold dollar, Type 2, Small Indian Head

United States: 1855 gold dollar, Type 2, Small Indian Head

PCGS AU58. Cert. #40989236.

Numista-23122, Krause-Mishler-83.

Mintage: 758,269.

Ex- Michael Swoveland, dba WNC Coins, LLC, Asheville, NC, ca. 2021-2022.

The Type 2 gold dollar, minted for only two years between 1854 to 1856, is the toughest of the three US gold dollar types to acquire. Mintages were small, with only the 1854 (783,943) and 1855 (758,269) having been produced in six-figure quantities. As such, this, the 1855, is the second most "common" date for the type, but it is still a scarce coin like all Type 2 gold dollars are. This type was superseded by the Type 3 (1856-1889), which featured a larger, redesigned Indian head design.

Graded AU58, it is right on the threshold of Mint State. I might upgrade to a fully Mint State example later, but if I do, that will definitely be expensive. I did get this piece for an attractive price when I bought it around 2021 or 2022. It is not a perfect example- it has a weakly struck date and there are a few minor reddish copper spots- but the latter do not bother me at all. It doesn't help that these images, including the PCGS TrueView, were shot through the plastic of the slab, which is a bit cloudy in places.



060000