Bidspirit auction | ***Major Highlight*** 1855 Gold Dollar

***Major Highlight*** 1855 Gold Dollar TY-II $1 ms65+ SEGS (fc) - ***Major Highlight*** 1855 TY-II Gold Dollar $1 ms65+ SEGS. This lovely Gem 1855 gold dollar offers superior technical quality and outstanding visual appeal for this conditionally challenging gold dollar type. Frosty surfaces are fully lustrous and display wisps of iridescent pinkish-rose to a base of warm golden-orange color. Sharply struck overall, When the Act of February 21, 1853 was passed, its intended purpose was to return subsidiary silver coinage into circulation by reducing the weight of those denominations enough that their face value exceeded their intrinsic value. Huge quantities of the lighter coins were produced, so much so that by 1855, the law had basically achieved its goal. The gold dollar was created to help fill the void formed by the disappearance of silver from commerce, and as more and more silver coins circulated, the need for the gold dollar began to drop. Production figures fell accordingly; in 1855 only 758,269 gold dollars were coined at the Philadelphia Mint while the three Southern branch mints turned out well under 70,000 pieces combined. Once silver quarters and half dollars were frequent sights again, the tiny gold dollar was no longer a desired coin.The high relief of the Type II gold dollar caused problems when the pressure required to strike up the design also put undue stress on the thinner planchet. This caused the centers of the coin to be very poorly struck; in fact nearly every known example of the 1855 gold dollar is found with weakness at the 85 in the date and LL in DOLLAR. Even on specimens struck from fresh dies the 8 in the date is often very flat at the upper left portion of the top loop. This issue is particularly well known for being generally poorly struck and clashed dies are the rule rather than the exception. The design's technical difficulties proved to be its undoing and in 1856, a revised version with a larger bust designed in lower relief was introduced.The high relief also proved to be detrimental in circulation, as the obverse was quick to show signs of wear, making Mint State examples particularly elusive. Maybe about a fifth of the estimated 5,000 to 7,500 survivors qualify as Mint State, of which only a few dozen are at the Gem level. Superior in every way, A Key Date's Pick, Bid to Win, Don't let it get Away, you might not find its equal Coin. I give this coin my highest recommendation