The Civil War was in full swing in May of 1861 when the final gold dollars of the Dahlonega Mint were struck, but they were struck by the state of Georgia and the Confederacy, not by Uncle Sam. The mintage estimates vary widely for this rarity, with the Guide Book allowing for 1,250 pieces, and the Bowers reference on the series giving an estimate of 1,000 to 1,500 pieces. No matter the actual quantity struck, all the remaining bullion at the Dahlonega Mint was turned into coins by the Confederacy using the federal dies that were on hand; gold dollars and half eagles used up the available bullion stock in the final year of this mint’s operations. Considered by many to be the single most important Dahlonega gold issue in any grade or denomination, the 1861-D is the only gold dollar issue with a five-figure value in the VF-20 column in the Guide Book; the 1861-D half eagle also shares that distinction within its denomination, though the gold dollar of the date shows the highest values of the two across the board.
The Mint State 1861-D gold dollar we offer in October is from the Milt Tretiak Collection, a world-class cabinet of gold dollars that was quietly formed over many years. Indeed, many of the dollars in the Tretiak Collection have been out of the numismatic marketplace for decades; these “fresh” coins will no doubt cause a stir when they reach the auction block. Dave Bowers notes in the Whitman reference on the series: “The popularity of the 1861-D gold dollar knows no bounds…any auction or other offering of an 1861-D gold dollar invariably stirs up a lot of attention. Few American gold coins in any series have a richer history.” We anticipate that future talk of gold dollar collections will not be complete without mention of the Milt Tretiak Collection. The dates and grades in the collection are superb across the board, and gold dollar aficionados will long remember the coins they purchase – or the ones that got away – for years to come.
The coins from the Tretiak Collection, along with all the other items in our Official Auction of the PNG New York Invitation, will be available for viewing and bidding at StacksBowers.com.
