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Author: Admin | 2025-04-27
DollarThe 1804 dollar, also known as the Bowed Liberty Dollar, is a coin of great significance produced by the United States Mint. Despite its 1804 date, all known specimens were minted during the 1830s or later. A total of fifteen authentic coins are currently known to exist. These special dollar coins were first manufactured as a part of proof coin sets intended as diplomatic gifts during Edmund Roberts’ visits to Siam and Muscat.Roberts distributed these coins in 1834 and 1835. However, his death in Macau prevented him from delivering two additional sets intended for government representatives in Japan and Cochinchina. Apart from the 1804 dollars made for the diplomatic gifts, the Mint also produced a few for exchanges with collectors to acquire desirable pieces for the Mint’s coin collection. In 1842, numismatists became aware of the existence of the 1804 dollar when an illustration appeared in a publication authored by two Mint employees. A year later, a collector managed to obtain one specimen from the Mint. Owing to the increasing demand from numismatists, Mint officials clandestinely produced a few more examples. These later strikes, however, were missing the correct edge lettering. Subsequent mintings included the correct lettering. Coins produced for the diplomatic mission, those surreptitiously struck without edge lettering, and those with the lettering are collectively known as “Class I”, “Class II”, and “Class III” dollars.Since their discovery, 1804 dollars have consistently fetched high prices. By 1885, auction prices reached $1,000 and exceeded $30,000 by the mid-twentieth century. In 1999, a record was set when a Class I example sold for $4.14 million, marking the highest price ever paid for a coin at the time. Due to their high value, the 1804 dollars have often been the target of counterfeit attempts and other fraudulent practices.Mint year: 1804Original value: $1Current value:
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