1855 $3 PR65+ Deep Cameo PCGS. JD-1, High R.7....

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1855 Three Dollar, PR65+ Deep Cameo
The Finest of Only Four Proofs Known
Ex: McCoy-Ely-Garrett

1855 $3 PR65+ Deep Cameo PCGS. JD-1, High R.7. Ex: Harry W. Bass, Jr. Collection. The proof 1855 three dollar gold piece is among the great rarities in the series. The mintage was unrecorded by the Mint, although scholars such as John Dannreuther estimate that only five pieces were struck. This is apparently an accurate mintage estimate. Walter Breen, in his proof Encyclopedia, listed only two examples known to him, with a note about the possible existence of a third. In United States Proof Coins, Vol. IV: Gold, John Dannreuther enumerates three surviving pieces, plus a possible fourth. The most recent survivorship study of this issue, performed by Ron Guth and reproduced in the roster below, lists four confirmed examples. One of these, the Trompeter specimen, was reported stolen in 2003 and has not been recovered. That leaves only three pieces available to collectors. The Bass Core Collection coin offered here is the sole finest.

This coin has the longest known provenance of any of the proof 1855 three dollar pieces, reaching as far back as John F. McCoy in the early 1860s. It is possible that McCoy was the original owner of this piece, and the first of only four different owners to date. Following W. Elliot Woodward's May 1864 sale of the McCoy Collection, the coin passed to Heman Ely, and by the 1880s was in the possession of T. Harrison Garrett. The Garrett family owned the coin until March 1976, when it was auctioned by Stack's. The buyer was Harry W. Bass, Jr. Thus, this is only the coin's second auction appearance since 1864.

As the finest 1855 proof three dollar known, the coin displays incredible sharpness and deep, glimmering reflectivity in the fields. Rich orange-gold color throughout each side complements the satiny luster of the devices, and field-device contrast is superb. No distractions are seen. The Plus designation is well earned. Proof three dollar gold specialists should not let this incredible opportunity pass by.

Roster of Proof 1855 Three Dollar Pieces
1. PR65+ Deep Cameo PCGS. John F. McCoy Collection (W. Elliot Woodward, 5/1864), lot 1987; Heman Ely Collection; T. Harrison Garrett Collection; Robert Garrett Collection; John Work Garrett Collection (Stack's, 3/1976), lot 393; Harry W. Bass, Jr. Foundation Collection (HBCC# 4004). The present coin.
2. PR64 Cameo PCGS. William H. Woodin Collection (Thomas Elder, 3/1911), lot 1138; John H. Clapp Collection, sold intact via Stack's in 1942; Louis E. Eliasberg, Sr. Collection (Bowers and Ruddy, 10/1982), lot 275, $28,600; Hugh Sconyers; Auction '85 (Superior, 7/1985), lot 934, $31,900; Harry W. Bass, Jr. Collection, Part III (Bowers and Merena, 5/2000), lot 271, $62,100; Larry Jackson; November Signature (Heritage, 11/2003), lot 7434, $75,900; Tom Bender Collection; Long Beach Signature (Heritage, 2/2023), lot 3670, realized $264,000.
3. PR63 Cameo Uncertified. "From a brother in the Cree family of North Carolina as a gift" (per John Dannreuther); Lewis Collection (Paramount, 7/1977), lot 519, $25,000; Ed Trompeter Collection (Superior, 2/1992), lot 97, $39,600; Numismatic Professionals, LLC; Michael Storeim reported this piece stolen on 11/27/2003. Dannreuther shows this as a PCGS PR65 Deep Cameo.
4. PR55 PCGS. D.L. Hansen Collection.
From The Harry W. Bass, Jr. Core Collection, Part III. (Registry values: P7)

Coin Index Numbers: (PCGS# 98018, Greysheet# 8673)

Metal: 90% Gold, 10% Copper
Weight: 5.02 grams
AGW: 0.16oz

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