1866 Three-Dollar Gold Piece. JD-1. Rarity-7-. Proof-66 Deep Cameo (PCGS). CAC. Exceptional quality, abundant eye appeal and impressive provenance combine to establish this coin as the finest known Proof 1866 three-dollar gold piece. Deeply mirrored fields reveal a subtle "orange peel" texture when observed with the aid of a loupe. These fields serve as a splendid backdrop to devices that are fully struck with a soft satin texture. The surfaces are vivid yellow-gold and border on numismatic perfection. Extraordinary!<p>This is the first Proof 1866 $3 gold that we have handled in more than a decade, not surprising given the rarity of the issue. The mintage is a scant 30 pieces, delivered as follows: 25 on January 15; five on June 8. Some confusion exists over the number of die pairings used for this issue, and only JD-1 has been positively confirmed to exist. Opinions also differ on the number of coins extant, with ;<em>PCGS CoinFacts</em> estimating 18 to 22 while John W. Dannreuther (2018) says 12 to 16. The paucity of market offerings argues strongly in favor of the lower estimate but, in either case, this is a highly elusive issue with even lower quality specimens representing a significant find. As the finest known, the Eliasberg Deep Cameo Gem Proof offered here is a landmark rarity the inclusion of which would put any cabinet on the numismatic map. Clearly, only the strongest bids will be competitive when this classic Proof gold rarity comes up for auction.<p>The provenance provided for this coin in the 2018 Dannreuther reference on Proof U.S. gold coinage is incorrect, and obviously based on an error made by Superiors catalogers in their February 1992 catalog of the Ed Trompeter Collection. In that catalog the Trompeter specimen is listed as the Woodin-Clapp-Eliasberg specimen, which we know is impossible since this coin was acquired by our consignor in our (Stacks) sale of January 1986 and has been off the market until consigned to the present sale. The Eliasberg sale lot tag from October 1982 is also included, confirming the error in Superiors catalog. From the Huberman Collection. Earlier ex Thomas L. Elders sale of the William H. Woodin Collection, March 1911, lot 1155; John H. Clapp; Clapp estate, 1942; Louis E. Eliasberg, Sr.; our (Bowers and Ruddys) sale of the United States Gold Coin Collection (Eliasberg), October 1982, lot 291; our (Stacks) James Walter Carter and Margaret Woolfolk Carter Collections sale, January 1986, lot 125. Bowers and Ruddy and Stacks lot tags included.
