Owner Comments:
Complaints about the tiny size of the Type 1 gold dollar resulted in this change in design mid way through 1854. The Type II gold dollar weighed the same as it predecessor, but it had a large diameter and the planchet (coin blank) was thinner.
The U.S. mint system issued this short lived type for all or parts of just three years from 1854 to 1856. As such collectors have long viewed this type as a very scarce item, especially in Choice to Gem (MS-63 to 65) Mint State.
Soon after this design was put into production, it was found the relief on Ms. Liberty's head was too high given the thin planchets that were required for the larger diameter gold dollars. As a result the hair detail on the obverse was almost never full struck, and of even greater concern, the date in the reverse was often weak and unreadable. This resulted in the rapid modification to the design.
The example shown above is a very well struck example of this scarce type. It has a minimum number of scratches and none of the clash marks that are often seen on Type II gold dollars.