For many years, it has been my strong belief that the best DWN client is one who is educated. An educated collector is a confident collector and a confident collector is a more active collector. This is one of the reasons that I have tried to share as much of my knowledge about United States gold coins as possible. I’ve written the standard reference books on Charlotte, Carson City, Dahlonega and New Orleans gold as well as hundreds of specialized articles and blogs that can be found on my website www.raregoldcoins.com.

With few exceptions, I don’t think there are many other dealers who can make the claim that they are as interested in educating their clients as much as I can.

My current work-in-progress is something that I am especially proud of. I call it the DWN Online Rare Gold Coinapedia and I am proud to officially announce that it is available for collectors to use immediately.

What this online project consists of are hundreds of high-quality images (obverse and reverse) of 18th, 19th and 20th century United States gold coins along with descriptions of each. These descriptions, while taken from write-ups that originally appeared on my website, are informational as opposed to commercial and should provide the new collector with lots of basic facts about the coins they are interested in.

The beauty of this project is that it is totally non-commercial. None of the coins that appear on the on-line encyclopedia are currently for sale. No hype, no sales pressure, just useful facts about coins. And the quality of the images is superb.

At this point in time there are around 300 different images posted. These include the following:

*Over 40 gold dollars

*Over 65 quarter eagles

*Over 15 three dollars

*Over 85 half eagles

*Over 55 eagles

*Over 60 double eagles

And, there are miscellaneous images of coins such as Territorials as well.

As time passes, I will be adding images and descriptions to this resource. I hope to double it in size by the end of 2010. While it will never be totally complete (there are clearly a number of very rare issues that I will not be able to image in the near future) I anticipate that it will become an important, widely used reference in the months to come.

Please visit the DWN Online Rare Gold Coinopedia. Use it often and give me input as to how to make it better and more useful to you. I look forward to hearing your comments.

Slanting 5 as on all known Proofs of this date. There were an estimated 10-15 pieces struck of which approximately six or seven are known today. This is the finest known for the date and it is the earliest dated Proof gold dollar graded PR67 by NGC. The NGC population figures show two examples in PR67 UC but I am virtually certain that this represents just this one coin. The present example exhibits spectacular quality and eye appeal for an early Proof gold dollar. The surfaces are bright and extremely reflective with pronounced contrast noted between the devices and the fields. The obverse is essentially perfect with a stark “black and white” appearance and a total absence of hairlines or mint-made imperfections. The reverse has a similar appearance but there are a few very small chips in the fields as made and a small, curled lintmark at 3:00 that serves as ready identification. As with the few other Proofs of this date that I have seen, the reverse has clashmarks at the center; an interesting feature on a Proof as this method of manufacture was typically done with far greater care than on a business strike. There are two relatively pertinent auction records that the collector should be aware of. In January 2007, Heritage sold a PCGS PR65 1856 gold dollar for $63,250. In May 2004, Superior sold an NGC PR65 Ultra Cameo for $54,625. The example offered for sale here, which is clearly a highlight of the fabulous Tri-Star Collection, is significantly finer than either of two PR65’s offered for sale and I believe that it is one of the most important Type Three Proof gold dollars in existence.

It is not known how many Proof 1857 gold dollars were produced; my best estimate is somewhere in the area of 20 to 30 with around ten or so known today. The present example is the second finest that I am aware of, trailing only the remarkable NGC PR66 that was last sold in May 2000 as Bass III: 29, then in a PCGS PR66 holder. The surfaces are bright and reflective with a good degree of contrast noted between the frosted devices and the mirrored fields. I can’t recall having seen many other Proofs of this date with as much contrast and it is possible that this is among the very first produced. On the surfaces there are a number of small, inconsequential mint-made chips and lintmarks with the most notable of these being located just past the second A in AMERICA. With the exception of this piece and the Bass example cited earlier, the other Proof 1857 gold dollars that have been on the market during the last decade have been lower grade examples in the PR63 to PR64 range. PCGS had graded one in PR65 and none better with a total of just five Proofs in all grades while NGC has graded four in PR65 and one better with a total of seven in all grades. This lovely Gem is extremely important and, for many collectors, it is the earliest dated Proof gold coin that they will be likely to add to their collection.

Ex: ANR 11/04: 1663 where it realized $34,500.

It is not known exactly how many Proof 1858 gold dollars were struck. My best estimate is that the original mintage figure is around 20-30 pieces of which an estimated ten to twelve are known today. This includes at least two that are impounded in museums (ANS and Smithsonian) and the number of Gems known is probably no more than four to five pieces. The present example is tied for the highest graded by a major third-party service and, to the best of my knowledge, it is one of the very finest known. Both sides are bright and very reflective with strong contrast between the devices and the fields. The obverse is virtually perfect with no hairlines and no mint-made impairments; the reverse has a few microscopic die chips near the R in DOLLAR that serve as identification. The gold dollar and quarter eagle are really the only collectible gold issues of this year available as Proofs (although the three dollar is sometimes available as well). Once this coin is sold, it is likely that a number of years will pass before another Gem Proof 1858 gold dollar is offered to collectors.

Ex: Heritage 3/06: 1728 where it realized $34,500. In the same sale, another NGC PR66 1858 gold dollar (from the Trompeter collection) sold for $32,200. No others have been offered for sale at auction since then.

One of 80 struck; it is likely that a number were melted and today there are probably fewer than twenty Proofs known. This is the single finest Proof 1859 gold dollar graded by PCGS and it is very likely the finest known for the date. The quality is just incredible with both sides displaying lovely medium orange-gold splashes over extremely reflective and essentially untouched surfaces. There are a few tiny mint-made planchet chips in the obverse fields but this piece has clearly been very carefully preserved since it was struck. The amount of contrast between the heavily frosted devices and the fields is remarkable and the eye appeal is as high as I can recall having seen on a Proof gold dollar produced during the 1850’s. As I mentioned above, PCGS has graded just this one coin in PR66 DCAM while NGC has graded two in PR66 Ultra Cameo with none better. There are no recent auction records for PR66 1859 gold dollars with or without cameo contrast and the most relevant record for a DCAM is the NGC PR65 Ultra Cameo sold by Heritage all the way back in their November 2002 sale for a then-strong $17,250. If you collect Proof gold dollars and you want the finest possible coins for your collection, you need to strongly consider this Superb Gem.

A total of 154 Proofs were produced but the Mint quickly learned that they had overproduced this issue and many were melted due to lack of demand. My best guess is that the net mintage was less than 50 and today it seems that around 25 or so are known with many in the PR63 to PR64 range. Gems are quite scarce and I can’t recall having seen more than one or two in PR66 holders (including Heritage 1/07: 3367, graded PR66 by NGC, which sold for $19,550). This example is a well made cameo with rich green and gold toning over very reflective surfaces. As on most of the known Proofs of this date, there are a few small lintmarks and planchet flakes that are as made. This date is, in my opinion, something of a sleeper as it is far, far scarcer than a “common” post-1880 Proof gold dollar yet it does not command a vast premium. Considering the rarity and quality of this coin, not to mention its excellent pedigree, I regard it as an exceptional value in today’s market.

Ex: Bowers and Merena 5/00: 33 ($10,350), Harry Bass collection, Stack’s 1971 ANA: 1922.