Just completed my second Dahlonega $3 set. 1854-D $3
JJSingleton
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Not really much of an accomplishment in set building though as the complete set consists of the single 1854-D date. But I am truly stoked to now own two 1854-D Three Dollar pieces. Both very cool coins, but in very different ways.
The 1854-D is a storied coin and one of the major keys, if not "the" key, to the entire Dahlonega series. But it is the shortest story by far. You see, on June 1, 1854 Philadelphia sent one pair of dies for the Three Dollar coin with instructions that read "Strike such number as will meet demand there may be for them." The dies were recorded as received at Dahlonega on June 17. But the weights, and other needed items were not sent until the middle of July. Sometime in late July a single coin run took place minting 1120 Three Dollar pieces. And that is the end of the story. Yep, pretty darned short. No more Three Dollar coins were ever minted in Dahlonega. We know these were coined very late in July due to the late ship date of the supplies, and the 1120 pcs recorded in the July report to Philadelphia. I joke with a Dahlonega collector friend that we should state as fact it was July 26 as the date because it is his and my wife's birthday. If we say it and write about it enough we are sure it will become accepted history.
Out of the 1120 coins minted a higher than normal percentage has survived with about 150 extant. However, these $3s saw quite a bit of circulation and all accurately graded AU55 and higher are very rare. There are only about four in MS holders today and a couple of those were at one time holdered as AU and easily debated. The Pops on these AU55+ are all messed up due to multiple submissions of the same coins in search of the coveted MS grade.
The coin has a large mint mark. The same mark for the larger half eagle was used on the three dollar. Dahlonega collectors love their "D"s and therefore we love our Threes.
Cool coin #1. I just acquired this 1854-D Three Ex North Georgia Collection in the recent Legend Regency Auction Lot #306. This 54-D is an absolutely wonderful example, and a high ranking condition census coin IMO. Since being auctioned in Jan 1999 with the North Georgia Collection the coin has been held in a private collection for the past 16 years. It is very well struck for the date with very smooth, rich orange gold surfaces. No distracting marks whatsoever which is rare for a Dahlonega coin. The coin is amazing in hand and I have seen no equal for eye appeal. This is a true smile coin as you cannot hold it in hand and not smile. I have some very cool and rare coins like my 61-D dollar, and my pop top 39-D Half Eagle, but I can say that this coin is now the crowning achievement in the collection. It will be very tough to find a coin to take away that title but the search continues.
I would like to give a special thanks to GeorgeKellogg on our forum. I was unable to view this coin prior to the auction and bidding without viewing the coin in hand is something that I have never done before. I shared my interest in the coin with GK back in August. GK had actually viewed all the of the North Georgia Collection back in late 1998 and, typically GK, he had copius notes on all the coins. After some research, and based upon the auction images, he was able to confirm the coin was in fact lot# 7664, and that it was in the same holder and never cracked out. This was important as there were actually three $3 in the No Ga Collection and the other two were not as all there as this one. His notes showed he really liked the coin, as did the previous bidders
. With an opinion like that from GK, who has a great eye, I was confident in placing a strong bid. Thanks GK!
image by Legend Auctions
My second cool 1854-D is not a high grade coin, only a VF25. But being a 1854-D it required a little stretching of the wallet back in early 2005. A wonderful problem free original well circulated Dahlonega $3 Dollar gold piece. You won't likely see another like this. Most well circulated $3s are loaded with problems. This coin was purchased by my local dealer from a long time Dahlonega Restauranteur who quietly purchased D-Mint gold coins from his local patrons for several decades. The first time I saw this coin it was raw in an old cigar box with about another dozen well circulated Dahlonega coins. There is little doubt in my mind that this $3 piece has never traveled outside of Lumpkin County except for a short vacation to Newport Beach to be PCGS graded. At the time I had recently purchase some mountain property near Dahlonega with plans to build our retirement home there. Being that this $3 likely had never left the Dahlonega area all those years I felt compelled to move my safe deposit box from Atlanta to Dahlonega so the coin could remain home. I now live in that house in the mountains and all of my D-mint coins reside in that safe deposit box just a stones throw from where they were struck. Keeping that $3 close to home as it had been for over 150 years just seemed like the right thing to do.
Logic dictates that I should sell this duplicate date, but the idea of sending it away from its home keeps me from doing so. I guess I am a softy at heart, even when it comes to coins.
Image by Todd at BluCC
The 1854-D is a storied coin and one of the major keys, if not "the" key, to the entire Dahlonega series. But it is the shortest story by far. You see, on June 1, 1854 Philadelphia sent one pair of dies for the Three Dollar coin with instructions that read "Strike such number as will meet demand there may be for them." The dies were recorded as received at Dahlonega on June 17. But the weights, and other needed items were not sent until the middle of July. Sometime in late July a single coin run took place minting 1120 Three Dollar pieces. And that is the end of the story. Yep, pretty darned short. No more Three Dollar coins were ever minted in Dahlonega. We know these were coined very late in July due to the late ship date of the supplies, and the 1120 pcs recorded in the July report to Philadelphia. I joke with a Dahlonega collector friend that we should state as fact it was July 26 as the date because it is his and my wife's birthday. If we say it and write about it enough we are sure it will become accepted history.
Out of the 1120 coins minted a higher than normal percentage has survived with about 150 extant. However, these $3s saw quite a bit of circulation and all accurately graded AU55 and higher are very rare. There are only about four in MS holders today and a couple of those were at one time holdered as AU and easily debated. The Pops on these AU55+ are all messed up due to multiple submissions of the same coins in search of the coveted MS grade.
The coin has a large mint mark. The same mark for the larger half eagle was used on the three dollar. Dahlonega collectors love their "D"s and therefore we love our Threes.
Cool coin #1. I just acquired this 1854-D Three Ex North Georgia Collection in the recent Legend Regency Auction Lot #306. This 54-D is an absolutely wonderful example, and a high ranking condition census coin IMO. Since being auctioned in Jan 1999 with the North Georgia Collection the coin has been held in a private collection for the past 16 years. It is very well struck for the date with very smooth, rich orange gold surfaces. No distracting marks whatsoever which is rare for a Dahlonega coin. The coin is amazing in hand and I have seen no equal for eye appeal. This is a true smile coin as you cannot hold it in hand and not smile. I have some very cool and rare coins like my 61-D dollar, and my pop top 39-D Half Eagle, but I can say that this coin is now the crowning achievement in the collection. It will be very tough to find a coin to take away that title but the search continues.
I would like to give a special thanks to GeorgeKellogg on our forum. I was unable to view this coin prior to the auction and bidding without viewing the coin in hand is something that I have never done before. I shared my interest in the coin with GK back in August. GK had actually viewed all the of the North Georgia Collection back in late 1998 and, typically GK, he had copius notes on all the coins. After some research, and based upon the auction images, he was able to confirm the coin was in fact lot# 7664, and that it was in the same holder and never cracked out. This was important as there were actually three $3 in the No Ga Collection and the other two were not as all there as this one. His notes showed he really liked the coin, as did the previous bidders
. With an opinion like that from GK, who has a great eye, I was confident in placing a strong bid. Thanks GK!image by Legend Auctions
My second cool 1854-D is not a high grade coin, only a VF25. But being a 1854-D it required a little stretching of the wallet back in early 2005. A wonderful problem free original well circulated Dahlonega $3 Dollar gold piece. You won't likely see another like this. Most well circulated $3s are loaded with problems. This coin was purchased by my local dealer from a long time Dahlonega Restauranteur who quietly purchased D-Mint gold coins from his local patrons for several decades. The first time I saw this coin it was raw in an old cigar box with about another dozen well circulated Dahlonega coins. There is little doubt in my mind that this $3 piece has never traveled outside of Lumpkin County except for a short vacation to Newport Beach to be PCGS graded. At the time I had recently purchase some mountain property near Dahlonega with plans to build our retirement home there. Being that this $3 likely had never left the Dahlonega area all those years I felt compelled to move my safe deposit box from Atlanta to Dahlonega so the coin could remain home. I now live in that house in the mountains and all of my D-mint coins reside in that safe deposit box just a stones throw from where they were struck. Keeping that $3 close to home as it had been for over 150 years just seemed like the right thing to do.
Logic dictates that I should sell this duplicate date, but the idea of sending it away from its home keeps me from doing so. I guess I am a softy at heart, even when it comes to coins.
Image by Todd at BluCC
Joseph J. Singleton - First Superintendent of the U.S. Branch Mint in Dahlonega Georgia
Findley Ridge Collection
About Findley Ridge
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Comments
Super pair of 54-D's.
Great history write-up
<< <i>Not really much of an accomplishment in set building though as the complete set consists of the single 1854-D date. >>
Congrats!
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<< <i>Awesome !!! :-) >>
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<< <i>Not really much of an accomplishment in set building though as the complete set consists of the single 1854-D date. >>
It may only be one coin but it sure looks like a really hard accomplishment. They are really cool and the story is awesome!
Awsome Coin, I knew you had got it based on boosibri teaser post. The nicest 54-d I have seen.
<< <i>WOW!! Tremendous coins and even better write up. These are the type of threads that should be posted more often. Educational and eye candy all in one. >>
But I have some concerns that some of you posted that the write up is even better than the coins. My writing skills are mediocre at best. It hurts to think that my coins are less than mediocre.
Joseph J. Singleton - First Superintendent of the U.S. Branch Mint in Dahlonega Georgia
Findley Ridge Collection
About Findley Ridge
<< <i>Thanks for all the kind words everyone.
But I have some concerns that some of you posted that the write up is even better than the coins. My writing skills are mediocre at best. It hurts to think that my coins are less than mediocre.
Nothing mediocre about either of those beauties . . . or your writing skills. Congrats ! ! !
HH
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Any help locating any of these OBW rolls would be gratefully appreciated!
Love both coins
mark
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I am curious about your citation about when these coins were struck. According the references I have, for example The United States $3 Gold Pieces, 1854 - 1889 by Q. David Bowers with Douglas Winter, they were struck in August. Some people claim they were all struck in one day in August. When did you learn that they were struck in late July?
Nice coins and write-up!
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<< <i>The 1854-D Three Dollar Gold Piece has long been a source of fascination for me. I dreamed of owning one for years, and finally fulfilled that goal a few years ago.
I am curious about your citation about when these coins were struck. According the references I have, for example The United States $3 Gold Pieces, 1854 - 1889 by Q. David Bowers with Douglas Winter, they were struck in August. Some people claim they were all struck in one day in August. When did you learn that they were struck in late July? >>
Bill, the strike date has often been mis-attributed to August. And with good logic. All we really have in piecing together the history of the Dahlonega mint are written correspondence between the Branch Mint Officers and Washington and Philadelphia, Philadelphia records, Treasury Records, Branch Mint reports sent to Philadelphia, and local newspaper accounts. Any internal records that may have been stored at the Branch Mint were likely destroyed as little in the way of records were ever recovered from the building.
In Birdsall's book, which became the Dahlonega Mint bible when released in 1984, he at first, when discussing the Patton years, states the coins were struck in August. But later in his discussion of the coins of the mint and mintage figures he correctly states the July date. The fact that I have never seen disputed is that the 1120 Threes were reported to Philadelphia with the July mintage report. I believe that many of the sources that report the August date most likely took the info from Birdsall's first discussion in the book.
I believe the confusion is a result of the following: The dies were sent on June 1 and were not received until June 17. And the weights and other needed supplies were sent on July 15. Because of the nature of dies, the receipt had to be recorded and reported back the Philadelphia. However, receipt of supplies was not reported back so we have no record of when the supplies were received. Birdsall seems to take a leap here and assumes that if it took 16 days for the dies to be delivered then it must have taken about the same time for the supplies to be delivered too. And using that logic the earliest the coins could have been struck was August.
I do not believe it was Birdsall's intention to focus on the Three Dollar coin in this section of the book. He was using the $3 dies and supplies more as an example for shipping times. The brief section concludes with Patton's plea to Snowden to use the Post Office instead of Snowden's favored Adams & Co. Express. Adams & Co. Express was well trusted and respected, but it averaged between 10 days to a month for delivery to be made. Patton was often in need of new dies and he begged Snowden to use the Post Office, who only required four days for delivery.
Joseph J. Singleton - First Superintendent of the U.S. Branch Mint in Dahlonega Georgia
Findley Ridge Collection
About Findley Ridge
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<< <i>Great stories. I prefer the VF specimen, FWIW. >>
I hear you. I really like the VF coin too. But with that said, the AU58 Legend Auction image is a bit strange. I am a bit uncertain as to what the photographer was trying to achieve. I considered using the 1999 Heritage auction images but they looked a little out of focus.
Here is a link to the Heritage listing in 1999 with more normal images.
Joseph J. Singleton - First Superintendent of the U.S. Branch Mint in Dahlonega Georgia
Findley Ridge Collection
About Findley Ridge
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If you have any interest in the Dahlonega Mint you really need to read this book. It is a great historical perspective of the happenings at the mint. And written as a good story, not the typical historical dry commentary.
Joseph J. Singleton - First Superintendent of the U.S. Branch Mint in Dahlonega Georgia
Findley Ridge Collection
About Findley Ridge
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