1851-D Gold Dollar. Winter 3-D. MS-64 (PCGS). CAC. An exceptionally beautiful example with extraordinary technical quality and eye appeal for a product of the Dahlonega Mint. The surfaces are highly lustrous with a frosty texture that yields to modest semi-reflectivity in the fields. Beautiful, vivid reddish-orange, pinkish-lilac and powder blue colors blanket both sides. Apart from softness to the borders along the left obverse and reverse, the strike is as close to full as one could realistically expect for the issuing mint. Indeed, all major design elements are sharply rendered and crisp, including those in the centers such as the hair curls over Libertys brow and the letters LLA in DOLLAR. The dies were heavily clashed at the time of striking with impressions from the lower right portion of the wreath in the obverse field around the lower right corner of Libertys portrait, impressions from the portrait and stars 6 and 7 readily evident in the central and lower left reverse field areas. There is not a single mark or other post-production blemish to report, the coin obviously preserved with the utmost care since leaving the Dahlonega Mint. Among the few Mint State 1851-D gold dollars that we have been privileged to auction, this is by far the finest. A premium near-Gem with extraordinary quality and attractive originality, it is little wonder that this gorgeous coin is the highest graded 1851-D gold dollar approved by CAC. Sure to sell for a strong premium to a discerning Southern gold collector.<p>Winter 3-D is the rarer of the two die pairings known for this issue, Doug Winter (<em>Gold Coins of the Dahlonega Mint: 1838-1861</em>, 2003 edition) stating that it may represent the 3,147 coins struck in February, 1851. The variety is most readily attributable by looking at the leaf to the right of the bow, which points to the right foot of the second digit 1 in the date. PCGS# 7515. NGC ID: 25BM. PCGS Population: 3; 0 finer. CAC Population: 1; 0.
