1880 Gold Dollar. MS-68 (PCGS).Virtually pristine surfaces are as smooth and inviting as the day this coin emerged from the dies. Those dies imparted both full, razor sharp striking detail and intense satin to semi-reflective luster. Wonderfully original color in a blend of golden-apricot and pinkish-rose blankets both sides and enhances this coins awesome eye appeal.<p>There were obviously few calls for gold dollars in 1880, for the Philadelphia Mint produced only 1,600 pieces in circulation strike format, the lowest mintage among Philadelphia Mint gold dollars after the 1875 (just 400 coins struck). Even so, the 1880 is surprisingly obtainable in lower grades, and it is obvious that a large percentage of the mintage survived in the hands of speculators and numismatists. Virgil Brand, for one, is said to have owned hundreds of 1880 gold dollars. On the other hand, the 1880 remains rare in the finest Mint State grades, as here. Saving coins and saving them with expert numismatic care are two different things, and few 1880 gold dollars extant received the fine treatment accorded the offered example over the intervening 145 years. It is an ultimate coin to represent the Type III gold dollar design in a world class numismatic cabinet.PCGS# 7581. NGC ID: 25DJ.PCGS Population: 36; 6 finer (MS-69 finest).From the Rick Springfield Collection.
