By James McCartney – Senior Numismatist, Stack’s Bowers ……
Over 30 years ago, United States gold coin specialist David Akers wrote, “the 1862 is the most underrated three dollar gold piece in choice uncirculated condition [from] the 1860s.” This statement remains as true today as it did then.
Writing in 2005, Q. David Bowers stated: “The 1862 $3 gold piece is very elusive in all grades and is particularly so at higher levels. And yet, similar to many other coins in this series, it is not widely known or appreciated as a rarity.”
Just 5,750 three-dollar gold pieces were struck in 1862 and only 200 to 250 coins survive, with just 30 to 40 distinct examples known in all Mint State grades. We are thrilled to offer a desirable near-Mint example from this issue in our upcoming June 2020 Baltimore sale. It is graded AU-58 by PCGS and has lustrous golden-tan surfaces and strong eye appeal. It represents the finest level of preservation that most collectors will encounter.
We set the auction record for this issue in 2008 when an MS-65 (PCGS) brought $44,850 USD in our (Bowers and Merena’s) February Baltimore sale. Our February 2016 sale of the D. Brent Pogue Collection, Part III, featured an MS-66 (PCGS) that is tied for the finest known. It went on to realize $39,950. We last offered an AU-58 (PCGS) in lot 8284 of our November 2019 sale of the E. Horatio Morgan Collection, which earned $5,040.
The present AU-58 (PCGS) example will be sold in our June 18-19, 2020 Baltimore sale, offered alongside Vermont coppers from the Q. David Bowers Collection and many other rarities. We are accepting consignments to this exciting event through April 21, so contact us today at [email protected] or 800-566-2580 to speak with a numismatic expert. Also, download our mobile app to view and participate in our auctions via your Android or Apple device.
