1856 G$1 Slanted 5 MS68+ PCGS Secure. CAC....

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1856 Slanted 5 Gold Dollar, MS68+
From the David Akers Collection
The Sole Finest Known

1856 G$1 Slanted 5 MS68+ PCGS Secure. CAC. Ex: Duckor/Akers. Peripheral weakness resulting in a lack of border detail at the lower obverse and upper reverse is a result of strike weakness, although all other details on both sides are boldly defined. This sensational gold dollar displays frosty lemon-yellow luster with delicate blue and rose overtones. The pristine surfaces are virtually blemish-free, showing only a trivial mark in the left branch of the wreath.

Variety and Die State: Breen-6058. Slanted 5, Open 6. While the Slanted 5 and Upright 5 varieties are highly collectible, we disagree with Walter Breen, who designated different attribution numbers for his Open 6 and Closed 6 varieties. This example shows an Open 6, although heavy reverse clash marks include letters from LIBERTY through the 6 that give the appearance of closing that digit. Faint obverse clash marks are also noted on this Superb Gem.

Population (6/15): Among all gold dollar types and dates, PCGS has certified seven pieces as MS68+. Five of those seven are offered in the present sale. This MS68+ example is the sole finest 1856 gold dollar at PCGS, with one other graded MS68. The finest of the issue at NGC are six submissions in MS66.

Commentary: The improved Type Three design, also known as the Large Indian Head design, corrected some of the strike deficiencies that plagued the Type Two design. Slightly more than 5 million Type Three gold dollars were minted for the entire period from 1856 to 1889 at five mints, comprising Philadelphia, Charlotte, Dahlonega, New Orleans, and San Francisco.

Douglas Winter Commentary: This coin was from Dave Akers' personal gold dollar collection. It was one of the small number of wonder coins that he would put out in his case at shows. I remember at one show asking him a price (I was assembling a Gem set of 1856 gold coins and needed this piece for my client) and Dave answered that if I wanted to buy this, I had to buy the other five or six amazing gold dollars he would display. Instead, he sold this coin to Steve Duckor -- a rather impressive beginning to a rather impressive set.

The 1856 Slanted 5 is common in grades as high as MS65, and PCGS has graded eight in MS66 and two in MS66+ (this is likely inflated by resubmissions). There are three or four really superb examples known. The finest to ever appear at auction is an MS68 PCGS that sold for $25,300 as lot 1631 in the March 2007 Heritage sale. The Akers/Duckor coin is, in my opinion, demonstrably nicer, with superb fiery orange-gold color and essentially perfect surfaces. I regard it as one of the finest U.S. gold coins known from the 1850s, and it would make a wonderful type coin for a collector looking for a killer Type Three dollar.

Provenance: Purchased from David Akers.
From The Duckor Family Collection of Gold Dollars.(Registry values: N1)

Coin Index Numbers: (NGC ID# 25C9, PCGS# 7540, Greysheet# 8017)

Weight: 1.67 grams

Metal: 90% Gold, 10% Copper

View all of [The Duckor Family Collection of Gold Dollars ]

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