Popular Science named the possible value of the lost silver coin

One of the country's rarest coins turned out to be a little more rare than expert collectors thought. An unexpectedly discovered long-lost dollar from 1804, known as the "King of American Coins," can bring in an amount significantly exceeding its original value. This was reported on December 2 by Popular Science magazine.

The find will be auctioned on December 9th. It is specified that at the moment the total number of known copies of this model is 16 pieces.

The silver dollar is known not only for its rarity, but also for its history. According to the auctioneers, it begins with former US President Andrew Jackson. It is specified that in 1834, his administration ordered sets of these coins as gifts to various heads of state around the world. However, at that time, about 30 years had passed since the United States minted new silver dollars, so the Ministry of Finance produced a new stamp for the issue of such coins dated 1804.

As stated, this is not the only nuance. According to the publication, officials were unaware that the 1804 coins did not actually exist — the original dollars were made using an 1803 stamp. Due to this mistake, the gifts to the heads of state became the only silver dollars with 1804 on the obverse.

Subsequently, numismatists tried to obtain the original coins from the recipients, including the King of Siam (modern Thailand) and the Sultan of Muscat (modern Oman). However, it is clarified that no one has been able to convince world leaders to transfer silver dollars.

Later, to satisfy the collectors' requests, the American government issued an additional set of coins with the year 1804 on the obverse for sale.

According to the publication, due to this confusion, many historical inaccuracies arose, and subsequently several books were devoted only to the history of this coin. Until recently, experts only knew about eight copies produced around 1834, and about seven more, probably dating back to the 1860s or 1870s.

It is emphasized that since the first resale of the 1804 dollar in 1867, the coin has regularly become the most valuable currency ever auctioned. In 2021, the Sultan of Muscat's silver dollar was sold for $7.68 million.

The last specimen was discovered after the death of New York collector James Stack in 1951, when his coins passed to his heirs. For some reason, information about this remained hidden until recently. The auction house Stack's Bowers, which held the last auction for the 1804 dollar, will now put it up for auction. It is expected that the coin can be sold for between $3 million and $5 million.

Earlier, on July 16, Elcabildo reported the discovery of a rare coin depicting former US President John F. Kennedy in New Hampshire. It was clarified that the value was found by the owner of a local gas station, Steve Whitmer. The find itself was valued at more than $3 million.

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