1883 Three-Dollar Gold Piece. JD-1, the only known dies. Rarity-5. Proof-63 Cameo (PCGS). CAC. This is a lovely Choice example of a rare classic Proof gold issue. Fully impressed with razor sharp definition, the devices are further set apart from the fields with a softly frosted texture. The fields are deeply reflective in finish, and the entire package is dressed in warm medium gold patina with a tinge of pale pinkish-rose evident as the surfaces rotate under a light. Highly appealing visually, with undeniable numismatic rarity.<p>The Philadelphia Mint struck only 89 Proof three-dollar gold pieces in 1883, 40 of which were delivered on February 10 for inclusion in the years Proof sets. Only a single pair of dies was used, which has recently been given the attribution JD-1 in John W. Dannreuthers new reference <em>United States Proof Coins, Volume IV: Gold</em> (2018). The author accounts for just 40 to 55 survivors in all grades, the present Gem certainly one of the very finest known and especially desirable for the bold cameo contrast, seen on just a handful initially struck by these dies. It is interesting that the master hub was engraved with haste as the final letter S in STATES is quite low, a feature seen on several years of the three-dollar gold coinage, along with irregular spacing between the letters in the word LIBERTY on the headband.
