1855-S Three-Dollar Gold Piece. AU-55 (PCGS). A lustrous specimen, clearly AU (and certified as such), in bright reddish-gold and deeper honey-orange. Some hints of a prooflike finish remain. Fairly well struck except for the highest parts of Libertys hair, this being typical for the type. ;The dies are boldly impressed, in fact, and show no evidence of clash marks or relapping.<p>The San Francisco Mints initial contribution to the three-dollar gold series came in 1855 with a mintage of just 6,000 pieces. Virtually all of those coins have long since been lost to commercial use, the issue seeing heavy circulation on the West Coast beginning at the time of striking. Survivors are scarce in an absolute sense and underrated compared to those of the more highly regarded 1854-D. Although the Dahlonega Mint issue has a lower mintage of 1,200 coins, more examples were saved with the result that both of these mintmarked threes are of similar overall rarity in todays market. In fact, Q. David Bowers and Doug Winter (<em>The United States $3 Gold Pieces: 1854-1889</em>, 2005) provide estimates of no more than 160 to 165 coins extant in all grades for both the 1854-D and 1855-S. There are only a handful of true Mint State examples known for the 1855-S and the present Choice AU -- conditionally rare in its own right -- would serve as a highlight in any advanced three-dollar gold set. From the Huberman Collection. Earlier ex our (American Numismatic Rarities) Richard Jewell Collection sale, March 2005, lot 614.
