1876 Gold Dollar. JD-2. Rarity-6+. Proof-65+ Ultra Cameo (NGC). An exceptional example of a rare classic U.S. Mint Proof gold issue. Bright and reflective, the fields form a splendid backdrop to fully impressed, satiny design elements. The entire coin exhibits handsome orange-rose color that enhances the already strong eye appeal. Proof gold dollar production at the Philadelphia Mint amounted to only 45 coins in 1876, though this would be the highest yearly total for the type from 1868 through 1880. We suspect that the increased mintage for this year was due to the United States celebrating its centennial in 1876, and the Mint anticipating increased sales to collectors seeking numismatic keepsakes. In the end, however, sales proved to be only marginally greater than for other years during that era. With an estimated surviving population of only about 15 to 25 coins, we suspect that no more than 30 or 35 examples were actually distributed. The present example ranks among the finest of these extant pieces and would serve as a highlight in any cabinet. Interestingly for a classic Proof gold issue, and no doubt the result of multiple striking periods during the year, the Mint employed two die pairings to produce these coins. Both share the same reverse, the obverses distinguishable by the presence or absence of polishing within the first feather of Libertys headdress. JD-2 shows no polishing, and it is seen with slightly more frequency than JD-1. PCGS# 97626. NGC ID: 25EK. NGC Census: 1; 4 finer in this category (Proof-67+ * Ultra Cameo finest).
