USA 1 dollar Seated Liberty 1851
USA, Philadelphia
Rarity
Extremely Rare
Attributes of Coins
| Region | USA |
|---|---|
| Denomination | 1 dollar |
| Krause number | KM# 71 |
| Mintage | 1,300 |
| Metal | Silver 0.900 |
| thickness | 2.8 mm |
| diameter | 38.1 mm |
| weight | 26.73 g |
Obverse:
Liberty
Star
Creators:
Christian Gobrecht
LIBERTY
Reverse:
Coat of arms
Creators:
Christian Gobrecht
ONE DOL.
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Introduction of Coins
A mere 1300 silver dollars were coined in 1851, aside from the proofs. With the price of gold having declined following the discovery of large deposits in California, the relative value of silver rose to the point where a silver dollar was worth several cents over its face value. Thus, it ceased to be a circulating coin, and the few struck this year were probably kept on hand for paying depositors of bullion at the mint. Only a single pair of dies was needed for this brief production, and the reverse die was a venerable one that had been used to strike dollars in each of the preceding three years. While a few 1851 silver dollars will display faintly prooflike fields, most are frosty, which is odd given the small mintage. This date typically is well struck in comparison to those of other years, and the dies are faintly clashed on most pieces. Not surprisingly, this issue is rare in any grade. Most survivors are Mint State or fairly close to it, due to their inability to circulate at face value. A couple of gems are known, along with several choice examples.Read More
