From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia 1804 silver dollar
1804 silver dollar
Dollar
United States
Value 1.00 U.S. dollar
Mass Class I - 26.96 g (0.867 ozt)
Class II - 24.711 g (0.794 ozt) [1]
Class III - 27.15-27.41 g (0.872-0.881 troy oz)
Diameter 39-40 mm (1.53-1.57 in)
Thickness ? mm
Edge Class I - Lettered - HUNDRED CENTS ONE
DOLLAR OR UNIT
Class II - Plain
Class III - Lettered - HUNDRED CENTS ONE
DOLLAR OR UNIT
Design Heraldic representation of the Great Seal of
Composition 90.0% Ag the United States with UNITED STATES OF
10.0% Cu AMERICA around the rim
Years of Class I - 1834 Designer Robert Scot
minting Class II, Class III - 1858-1860
The 1804 Silver Dollar or Bowed Liberty Dollar is a United
Obverse
States dollar coin considered to be one of the rarest and
most famous coins in the world, due to its unique his-
tory.[citation needed] Divided into "Classes," 15 specimens
are known. Eight comprise Class I, which were minted
in 1834. Two Class I specimens trace their lineage to the
King of Siam and the Sultan of Muscat. One comprises
Class II and six comprise Class III and were minted some-
time between 1858 to 1860. It is alleged both Class II and
Class III specimens were made clandestinely by Mint of-
ficials. Due to the nature of their rarity, some have been
sold for high dollar figures. Replicas and counterfeits ex-
ist, some meant to deceive collectors, while others are
made to offer a cheap substitute for the real and more ex-
pensive coins.
Design Bust of Liberty facing right
Designer Robert Scot
Class I
Design date 1804
History
Reverse In 1804, United States Mint records indicate that 19,750
silver dollars were struck. However, in keeping with
common Mint practice at the time, these were all minted
from old but still-usable dies dated 1803, and are indis-
tinguishable from the coins produced the previous
year.[2][3] Silver dollars dated 1804 did not appear until
1834, when the U.S. Department of State was creating
sets of coins to present as gifts to certain rulers in Asia in
exchange for trade advantages. The U.S. Government or-
dered the Mint to produce "two specimens of each kind
now in use, whether of gold, silver or copper". Since the
1
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia 1804 silver dollar
Class I Specimens
Image Name Provenance/Notes
U.S. Mint Specimen Retained for the US Mint collection; transferred to the Smithsonian In-
stitution as a part of the National Coin Collection.
Stickney - Eliasberg Spec-
imen
Cohen - ANA Specimen Stolen in 1967 from Willis DuPont; recovered in 1993. Currently dis-
played at the American Numismatic Association Museum in Colorado
Springs.
Mickley - Reed Hawn Obtained by Joseph J. Mickley. Sold at auction for $3,725,000 by Heritage
Specimen Auction Galleries, May 2008, as part of the Queller Family Collection[5]
Parmelee - Byron Reed Once owned by Byron Reed; now in the custody of the Durham Western
Specimen Heritage Museum of Omaha. ICG Proof-64.
Dexter Specimen
Watters-Childs Specimen Believed to have come from the Sultan of Muscat’s proof set. Graded
PCGS Proof-68.
King of Siam Specimen Part of the King of Siam Proof Set; "Brilliant Gem Proof" Graded PCGS
PR-67.
silver dollar was still in use, but had last been recorded This coin was displayed as part of the “King of Siam” col-
as produced in 1804, Mint employees struck several dol- lection at the Smithsonian Institution in 1983, where it
lars with an 1804 date. Due to the cost-cutting measures was given the name “the King of Coins.” It was purchased
of the US Mint in its early history and the reuse of 1803 by an anonymous collector in 2001, who purchased the
dies, this act led to confusion.[2][3] entire set of coins from the King of Siam collection for
The first 1804 silver dollars minted in 1834 were pre- over $900 million.
sented as gifts to Rama III, King of Siam and Said bin Sul-
tan, Sultan of Muscat and Oman. The other five were dis-
persed under unknown circumstances after Ambassador
Edmund Roberts died en route during the voyage. One
Class II
was retained in the US Mint Coin Collection. In 1842, nu-
mismatists first learned of the 1804 dollar through a book History
displaying an illustration of the 1804 dollar from the Mint Between 1858 and 1860, a small number of 1804 silver
Cabinet.[4] These silver dollars are known among numis- dollars were illegally struck by an employee of the Mint
matists as “original” or Class I 1804 dollars. Eight of these named Theodore Eckfeldt, and sold to coin collectors
coins are known to exist. One currently resides in the through a store in Philadelphia. Two parts of the minting
Smithsonian Institution, one is in the American Numis- process were improvised by Eckfeldt, striking the 1804
matic Association museum, and the other six are in pri- dies into another coin, and using a different but similar
vate collections. reverse die having the lettering and clouds positioned
Popular legend states that the rare coin given by King slightly differently than the Class I and Class III speci-
Rama IV of Siam to Anna Leonowens, as seen in the story mens.[1] The number of coins minted is believed to be
of Anna and the King of Siam and the movie The King and I, between ten and fifteen, struck with two separate coin
was indeed the same 1804 silver dollar produced in 1834 dies, known to numismatists as "Class II." The illegally
as a gift to Siam. This coin was kept in Anna’s family for minted coins were hunted down and seized by officials of
several generations, until in the 1950s it was sold by a the Mint. Today, only one Class II coin exists, residing at
pair of British ladies claiming to be Anna’s descendants. the Smithsonian Institution. It is alleged that it has been
2
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia 1804 silver dollar
Class II Specimen
Image Name Provenance/Notes
U.S. Mint Specimen; a.k.a. Specimen was retained for the US Mint collection after seizure of other
"Shooting Thaler" Silver specimens minted illegally. Now part of the National Coin Collection
Dollar held by the Smithsonian Institution.
Class III Specimens
Image Name Provenance/Notes
Berg - Garrett Specimen
Adams - Carter Specimen Sold at auction for $2.3 million by Heritage Auction Galleries, April
2009[7]
Davis - Wolfson Specimen
Linderman - DuPont On display at the headquarters of the American Numismatic Association.
Specimen
Rosenthal - ANS Speci- On display at the headquarters of the American Numismatic Society.
men
Idler - Bebee Specimen Displayed at American Numismatic Association headquarters.
struck over a modified Swiss Shooting Thaler issued for
the Shooting Festival in Bern dated 1857.[1]
References
[1] ^ "NMAH United States, 1 Dollar, 1804 (Class Two)".
Smithsonian National Museum of American
Class III History. http://americanhistory.si.edu/
collections/
History object.cfm?key=35&objkey=710&gkey=50.
The Class III specimens were produced sometime be- Retrieved 2008-05-28.
tween 1858 and 1860, also made by Theodore Eckfeldt. [2] ^ Mark Ferguson (March 17, 1997). "1804 Dollar
Although similar to the Class I coins, there are differ- Mystery Solved!... Why and When Were These
ences. There are seven known Class III specimens, which Coins Minted? What Happened to the 19,570 Silver
can be distinguished from Class I pieces by their reverse Dollars Officially Minted in 1804?". Archived from
design, lettered edge found on Class I, and weak design.[6] the original. Reliance Numismatic Services.
The die from which the Class III specimens were made Retrieved 2008-05-28
was seized by Mint Director James Ross Snowden in 1860, [3] ^ Professional Coin Grading Service.
but by this time several were in collectors’ hands. "Recommendations for Collecting - PCGS Coin
Guide". Collectors Universe, Inc.
Counterfeits and replicas http://www.pcgs.com/coinguidetext/
display_chapter.chtml?chapter=recommend&page=55&additional
Counterfeits exist of the 1804 Silver Dollar, with some Retrieved 2008-05-28.
con artists and perpetrators of fraud trying to pass off [4] Professional Coin Grading Service.
coins as the real thing. Some were brought back by ser- "Recommendations for Collecting - PCGS Coin
vice personnel returning from the Vietnam War.[8] Guide". Collectors Universe, Inc.
Various private mints have produced replicas of the http://www.pcgs.com/coinguidetext/
1804 dollar over the years. The replicas have little worth display_chapter.chtml?chapter=recommend&page=56&additional
as collectors’ items, with their silver content fetching Retrieved 2008-05-28.
them a price of current melt values and some collectible [5] Mark Borckardt (April 17, 2008). "Mickley Queller
value as silver rounds.[9] 1804 $1 Auction Description plus Video". Heritage
Auction Galleries. http://www.ha.com/1104*2089.
3
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia 1804 silver dollar
[6] "NMAH United States, 1 Dollar, 1804 (Class Three)". [9] Reid Goldsborough. "Draped Bust Dollar Replicas".
Smithsonian National Museum of American http://home.comcast.net/~reidgold/
History. http://americanhistory.si.edu/ draped_busts/page_7a.html. Retrieved 2008-05-28.
collections/object.cfm?key=35&objkey=740.
[7]
Retrieved 2008-05-28.
Mark Borckardt (April 29, 2009). "Adams Carter
External links
1804 $1 Auction Description plus Video". Heritage • The Dexter Specimen of the 1804 Silver Dollar
Auction Galleries. http://www.ha.com/1124*2567. • DRAPED BUST / EAGLE AND SHIELD SILVER DOLLARS
[8] Reid Goldsborough. "Counterfeit Draped Bust (1798-1804)/SCOT’S HERALDIC DESIGN (1798-1803)
Dollars". http://home.comcast.net/~reidgold/ • 1804 Silver Dollar Coin Facts 1804 Silver Dollar
draped_busts/page_7.html. Retrieved 2008-05-28. • The Dollar of 1804
• King of Siam proof Set gallery
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Categories:
• United States dollar coins
• Coins of the United States
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