1776 (1876) Continental Dollar. Dickeson Restrike. HK-853. Rarity-7. Copper. MS-65 RB (PCGS). 38 mm. Extraordinary Gem Uncirculated preservation for this scarce restrike type of the famous Continental dollar. Frosty to modestly semi-reflective in finish, the surfaces are smooth in hand with not even a single trivial blemish to report. Much of the original mint orange color remains, both sides lightly toned in iridescent olive-brown and, in isolated peripheral areas, pale steel-blue. Fully struck and crisp. Professor Montroville Wilson Dickeson (1813 to 1882) was a numismatist who published the <em>American Numismatic Manual</em> in 1859 just as coin collecting was coming into its own in America. He produced copies of the 1776 Continental dollar and sold them as souvenirs for the Centennial Exposition of 1876. Several years later Thomas Elder acquired the dies and made further restrikes. Eventually the dies were given to the American Numismatic Society in New York City. These perennial favorites with collectors of early American coinage and related types never go begging in the auction arena, so be prepared to pay "top dollar" for this premium example.