The 1895 Proof Morgan Dollar. The 1909 S VDB Lincoln Cent. The 1916 D Mercury Dime. Do you notice a theme yet?
Rare, sought after coins. They are the bread and butter of the business. They provide a “thrill of the hunt” feel and allow for collectors alike to bond over the interests of said numismatic wonders. Why? History is everything and all of these coins are loaded with history.
Enter the 1804 Dollar.
1804 Dollar - The King of United States Coins
This coin carries enough history and unique intrigue to last any collector a lifetime. Why? There are only 15 known examples of the coin and the most unique part is that the dollars were not actually struck in 1804. The United States Mint ended the production of silver dollars until 1840 beginning in 1803. They struck the dollars dated 1803 in 1804.
The production of 1804 silver dollars occurred between 1834 and 1835. This happened due to the US Department of the State wanting to gift Asian rulers during trade negotiations a “finished” type set. This set made its official appearance in 1962 to confirm such gift giving. It was originally presented to the King of Siam, Rama III.
Due to the way the “1804” dollars were struck, they have been classified into three different groupings. The eight “originals” are considered the dollars that were given to the Asian rulers between 1834-1836 and are called Class I. The next group, the one and only in Class II, are believed to have been the workings of United States Mint employees between 1858-1859. This occurred over a Swiss coin called the “Shooting Thaler of 1857”. This one and only coin is now sitting at the Smithsonian. The last group is made up of six dollars in Class III and were produced from 1858 to 1859. The US Mint decided to strike these for collectors and include an original obverse die and an altered reverse.
Replica Silver
In honor of such a rarity within the numismatic world, a replica of the 1804 Dollar has been exclusively produced by the SilverTowne Mint. Struck in one-ounce of .999 fine silver, this medallion brings together the history of our SilverTowne founder, Leon Hendrickson, and the history of the coin itself.
The ribbon in the Eagle’s mouth on the reverse reads “DEXTER” and “HENDRICKSON” which signifies the owners. ‘Hendrickson’ refers to Leon as the ‘Dexter’ refers to the fact that Leon actually owned the Dexter Specimen 1804 Draped Bust dollar between 1985-1989! (This is one of the many reasons Leon himself was so impressive!)
The replica features the likeness of the Draped Bust dollar on the obverse as Lady Liberty and the 13 stars surround the outer edge alongside the word “LIBERTY” and the year-date “1804”. The reverse depicts the design of the Heraldic Eagle Reverse along with several inscriptions. This replica silver medallion depicts the words “THE KING OF AMERICAN COINS - COPY” instead of the original words inscribed, “THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA”, on the rim of the silver piece along with the weight and purity designation underneath the talons of the Eagle. This is where the specified ribbon doting the owner’s history is presented featuring “DEXTER” and “HENDRICKSON”.
Source: https://www.money.org/
Featured Product: 1804 "Dexter" Dollar Replica Silver Rounds
