Lot 655
1874 $1 Gold Indian. NGC graded MS-65. The year 1874 was sort of a last gasp for the gold dollar denomination. Mintage came in just under 200,000, the highest since over a million were coined in 1862. After 1874, the most coined would be 30,000 in the final year of issue; 1889. This coin has bright, fresh luster throughout, with clean devices that show full details. A glass will note a few tick marks in the fields, keeping this coin from an even higher grade. Slightly prooflike on the obverse, the reverse more satiny, but it shows faint hairlines.
By 1874 the master hub, used to produce dies at the Mint, was showing substantial wear. In fact, the word LIBERTY had become so weak that on most of the working dies from 1873-74, LIBERTY can scarcely be seen on coins struck by these dies. One this particular coin, part of the "L" is visible on Liberty's headband. William Barber came to the rescue, and produced a new hub to manufacture dies, and LIBERTY was soon restored through the end of production in 1889.
Estimated Value $1,300 - 1,500.
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| Realized $1,208 |
