How to Find a 1804 Class I Draped Bust Dollar

The 1804 Class I draped bust dollar—often called simply “The King of American Coins”—is one of the most famous rarities in United States numismatics. Only eight examples exist, each individually named and tracked, and a search returning no results for this coin is the expected outcome.

GetCoinHunt helps you search inventory from multiple coin dealers in one place, and lets you save a wishlist alert for coins that are not currently available, which for a coin this rare is nearly always.

What makes the 1804 Class I draped bust dollar important to collectors?

No silver dollars were actually struck with the date 1804 during the year 1804 itself. The Mint had stopped producing silver dollars after 1803, and record-keeping at the time simply used the prior year’s die when a new one wasn’t needed—so the “1804” dollars trace to an entirely different, later episode.

In 1834, the State Department—which then oversaw the Mint—needed special diplomatic proof sets to send with U.S. envoy Edmund Roberts on a mission to the Far East, including gifts intended for the King of Siam and the Sultan of Muscat. Mint officials, working from incomplete records, believed 1804 was the last year silver dollars had been coined and used that date for the new presentation pieces rather than issuing coins dated 1834 in an obsolete design. The result: dollars dated 1804 that were actually struck three decades later, in extremely limited numbers, specifically as diplomatic gifts and for select collectors — an origin story documented in detail by PCGS CoinFacts and by Heritage Auctions and Stack’s Bowers in their respective cataloging of the issue.

Eight examples of these original, Class I strikes are known today, each with its own name drawn from a notable past owner: the Sultan of Muscat specimen, the King of Siam specimen, the Stickney specimen, the Dexter specimen, the Parmelee specimen, the Mickley specimen, the Mint Cabinet specimen (held by the Smithsonian), and the Cohen specimen — a census tracked by PCGS, NGC, and the major auction houses that have handled these coins. Later, unauthorized restrikes—known as Class II and Class III—were produced in the 1850s and are separate, even rarer varieties in their own right.

Given their fame and value, examples change hands rarely and for enormous sums. A Class I 1804 dollar from the D. Brent Pogue Collection sold at a Stack’s Bowers auction for $1,440,000; other examples have sold for considerably more, including a Heritage Auctions sale at $3,877,500 in 2013. Confirm the specific sale date, lot, and hammer price against the auction house’s own permanent records before relying on either figure.

How to identify a 1804 Class I draped bust dollar

With only eight known examples, all individually pedigreed, identification is really about confirming a coin against its documented history rather than screening an unknown piece.

Confirm it against the known census

Every genuine Class I 1804 dollar is already named, tracked, and accounted for in major numismatic references. A coin presented without a matching pedigree from one of the eight known specimens is not a genuine, undiscovered example—it is either a different Class (II or III), a later replica, or a counterfeit.

Understand what separates Class I from Class II and Class III

Class I coins were struck in 1834 for the diplomatic mission and have a plain edge produced by the collar used at the time. Class II and Class III examples were struck later, in the 1850s, without official authorization, and are distinguished by different edge and die characteristics documented by specialists. All three classes are rare, but Class I is the original, most historically significant, and most valuable group.

Be alert to replicas and reproductions

Because the 1804 dollar’s fame far exceeds its availability, non-genuine copies, replicas, and altered coins are common in the marketplace, most sold openly as souvenirs or novelty items rather than fraud—but some are misrepresented. Any coin claimed to be a genuine 1804 dollar of any class requires certification from a major grading service before being taken seriously.

Buying considerations

This is not inventory you’ll find through routine dealer search

With only eight Class I examples known and each already held in tracked private or institutional collections, a genuine specimen reaching the market is major news in the numismatic press, not a routine listing. Pursuing this coin realistically means working with major auction houses and specialist dealers who handle trophy-level rarities.

Certification and provenance are essential

At this value level, only consider a PCGS- or NGC-certified example, and verify both the certification and the coin’s documented ownership history before any transaction. Given how frequently the “1804 dollar” name is used loosely for replicas and tokens, confirm exactly what is being offered before assuming it’s a genuine Class I coin.

Understand what a “no results” search means here

GetCoinHunt does not manufacture or guarantee inventory. For a coin this rare, an empty search result accurately reflects the market rather than indicating a problem with the search itself.

Suggested search terms and filters

Because a genuine example is unlikely to appear in routine inventory, consider:

• “1804 Draped Bust Dollar Class I” (to catch any rare genuine listing)
• “1804 dollar replica” or “1804 dollar copy” (if you’re looking for an affordable souvenir reproduction rather than the genuine rarity—confirm any such item is clearly marked as a copy)

Save “1804 Draped Bust Dollar Class I” to your wishlist to be notified on the rare chance a genuine listing appears.

Availability and pricing notes

Class I 1804 dollars sell only rarely, through major auction houses, for prices that have ranged from roughly $1.4 million to well over $3 million depending on the specific specimen, its grade, and its pedigree. Later Class II and Class III restrikes, while still extremely rare and valuable, are distinct varieties with their own separate market.

GetCoinHunt does not guarantee that any listing represents a genuine example of a historic rarity. For a coin at this level, independent verification through a major grading service and established auction record is essential before treating any offer as credible.

How the GetCoinHunt wishlist alert works

1. Search for the coin. Enter “1804 Draped Bust Dollar Class I” to check current dealer inventory.
2. Expect no matches in nearly all cases. With only eight known examples, all already accounted for, this coin does not appear in routine dealer inventory.
3. Add it to your wishlist anyway. You’ll be notified if participating dealer inventory ever includes a matching listing.
4. Consider genuine circulation-era draped bust dollars instead. Searching “draped bust dollar” more broadly will connect you with an actual 18th- and early 19th-century series that, while still valuable, is far more collectible than the 1804 rarity.

Frequently asked questions

Were any silver dollars actually struck in the year 1804?

No. The last silver dollars struck for circulation used dies dated 1803. The coins dated “1804” were struck decades later, in 1834, for diplomatic presentation sets, based on a mistaken belief at the Mint that 1804 had been the final year of dollar production.

How many genuine 1804 Class I dollars exist?

Eight, each individually named after a past owner: the Sultan of Muscat, King of Siam, Stickney, Dexter, Parmelee, Mickley, Mint Cabinet, and Cohen specimens.

What’s the difference between Class I, Class II, and Class III?

Class I coins were struck in 1834 for the diplomatic mission. Class II and Class III are later, unauthorized restrikes produced in the 1850s, distinguished from Class I and from each other by specific edge and die characteristics.

What has a Class I 1804 dollar sold for?

Recorded sales include $1,440,000 (Stack’s Bowers, from the Pogue Collection) and $3,877,500 (Heritage Auctions, 2013), with values varying by specific specimen, grade, and pedigree. Verify exact sale dates and lot details against the auction houses’ own records.

Are “1804 dollars” sold cheaply online genuine?

No. Given the coin’s extreme rarity and fame, low-priced items described as 1804 dollars are replicas, copies, or novelty pieces, not genuine Mint products. A genuine example would be independently certified and would match one of the eight documented Class I specimens (or a documented Class II or III restrike).

Should I expect to find this coin through a normal coin search?

No. Treat any listing claiming to offer a genuine 1804 Class I dollar with serious skepticism, and verify independently through a major grading service and established auction records before considering it credible.

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