Sterling Collection of Philadelipha Mint Gold Dollars
Private
Updated:
5/27/2026
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My interest in gold dollars began over fifty years ago as a young man. I had been collecting - or rather acquiring - coins as a boy. It was fascinating to imagine each coin’s story - where it had been, on what it might have been spent it, or in whose pocket it had jingled. Knowing my interest, my grandfather gave me a coin that he told me he had found on the street in Evansville Indiana in 1935 during the height of the Great Depression. It was an 1852 gold dollar. As you might expect, this coin was no great prize for it indeed had the look of one that had been on the street for some time. When I got home I pulled out my trusty Red Book and judged it to be in Extra Fine condition. I put the coin in my collection, and there it languished for many years as I could not afford to collect gold coins.
Fast forward several decades and the little 1852 gold dollar remained nearly forgotten amongst my collection. About ten years ago, I came across the coin again and decided to learn more about it. Though my grandfather’s coin remained a treasured possession, I decided to purchase a nicer example. As I researched these little golden jewels, I became increasingly fascinated by them and their unique place in our numismatic history. I added more and more dates until one day I realized that I was collecting them. Gold dollars have since become a passion for me, and I find myself looking for them in every auction.
Building a set of gold dollars is a challenging and very expensive endeavor. The antebellum dates 1849-1861 are loaded with mint marked issues, nearly all of which are rare and very expensive for the average collector. The Dahlonega and Charlotte mints produced small amounts of gold coins each year until the onset of the Civil War halted production. In 1854, the San Francisco mint joined these branch mints, producing small numbers of coins each year until 1860, and once again in 1870. All of these coins are scarce to rare and are highly prized by collectors. The notable exception to this are the products of the New Orleans mint from 1849 to 1855, which were produced in sufficient numbers that they can usually be found at moderate prices today.
In contrast, the Philadelphia mint produced larger numbers of coins each year. For every generalization of course, there is an exception. In this case it is the 1875 issue, of which a mere 420 coins were produced. The remainder of the Philadelphia issues are typically more affordable, making the set within the reach of the average collector. While Gem quality coins prior to 1880 typically remain scarce and usually somewhat pricey, nearly all Philadelphia issues are readily available in Almost Uncirculated condition at modest premiums, while low end mint state coins up to MS-64 can also be found reasonably priced. All this makes the building of a date set of Philadelphia mint gold dollars a challenging, but realistic endeavor.
This is a living collection in that I am still building the set and updating the information as time permits. The information provided is gleaned from my 55 years of experience buying and selling coins, along with the scholarly works listed below.
Select bibliography:
Ambio, Jeff, Collecting & Investing Strategies for United States Gold Coins; Zyrus Press 2008.
Bowers, Q. David, A Guide Book of Gold Dollars 79th Edition; Whitman 2011.
Breen, Walter, Complete Encyclopedia of U.S. and Colonial Coins; Doubleday 1988.
Heritage Auctions, various auction catalogs 2000-2025.
Kreger, Craig & Dannreuther, John; “A New Slant on Coins of 1850-56,” The Numismatist, 2002.
Stacks Bowers Inc., various auction catalogs 2000-2025.
Yeoman, R.S., A Guide Book of United States Coins 2026; Jeff Garrett editor; Whitman 2025.
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Sterling Collection of Philadelipha Mint Gold Dollars
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