Common Date $1 Gold Liberty Type 1 VF

In 1849, a little piece of American history was made, both metaphorically and literally, when one of the U.S. Mint's facilities produced the country's first ever one-dollar gold coin that would actually circulate. Here, we refer to that coin as the $1 Gold Liberty Type 1. The mention of "Type 1" in that name derives from the design, which differs significantly from the "Type 2" design that replaced it come 1854. Crucial elements of the Type 1's obverse design include, in a circle, 13 stars. Each of these stars represents one of the founding U.S. states.

Inside that circle is a head easily recognizable as Liberty's. Beautifully detailed hair can be seen beneath a coronet, which, for the Type 2 design, was replaced by a feathered headdress. That later design also replaced the stars with words reading UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. With the Type 1 coin, it's on the back that those words appear. They surround a wreath that circles the face value, spelled out as 1 DOLLAR. Included below that is the issue date. While James B. Longacre made the front design when in the post of U.S. Mint Chief Engraver, it was Peter Filatreu Cross, an assistant to Longacre, who created what can be seen on the rear.

Longacre did, however, create the revised version of that design for the Type 2 coin. In that design, the wreath's two upper tips are much closer together, though the wreath's appearance has slightly differed between individual 1849-struck coins of the Type 1 variety, too. We do not guarantee which date will appear on a coin that you obtain from us. It will be a common date from the coin's production run.

You may also find that the coin features a mint mark. This inclusion, too, is not guaranteed, as coins that the Philadelphia Mint made do not show mint marks. However, if there actually is a mint mark on the coin that you receive, it will be just below the wreath. A key aspect of the visual appeal of the coin is, of course, the gold color. Each coin has 0.04837 Troy ounces of the metal obviously responsible for that color, though copper does make up 10 percent of the total metal content. Each piece weighs 1.672 grams overall.

As the Type 1 variant of the single-dollar gold disc was minted for just five years, you could find yourself struggling to find it in significant quantities today. For this reason, if you see that we presently have stock of this coin, delaying before buying any of that stock could be ill-advised. Once the coin is yours, you can revel in owning the smallest-diameter United States coin ever to have been minted. The diameter is a mere 12.7mm, and its shortness was remarked upon even shortly after the coin was initially publicly unveiled in the 1840s. A historic coin indeed!

Features of the Common Date $1 Gold Liberty Type 1 VF

• Moderate wear, befitting the VF-graded condition
• Displays any year from 1849-54
• Includes work from two designers.

Orders placed for products that are not a specific year will be fulfilled with coins of any date, based on availability. Orders of multiple coins may be filled with the same year or a variety of years.