How to Find a Class II 1804 Draped Bust Dollar

The Class II 1804 Draped Bust dollar is unique—only one example is known, and it is permanently held by the Smithsonian Institution’s National Numismatic Collection. It is one of three distinct classes of “1804 dollar,” and understanding why requires knowing that none of them were actually struck in 1804 at all.

GetCoinHunt helps you search inventory from multiple coin dealers in one place and create a wishlist alert. For a coin this singular, that alert exists mainly to flag any claimed listing for serious scrutiny.

What makes the Class II 1804 dollar historically significant?

The Mint stopped striking silver dollars for circulation after 1803, and none were made in the actual year 1804. The coins known today as “1804 dollars” were struck decades later, around 1834–1835, when the State Department decided to include a complete set of current U.S. coin denominations—including a silver dollar, the last of which had been dated 1804—as diplomatic gifts for rulers in Asia. Because 1804 was the last year a dollar date had technically been authorized for use, the Mint struck new dollars bearing that old date rather than the current year. This origin story, and the three-class framework used to organize the surviving coins, is documented by PCGS CoinFacts, NGC, and the major auction houses that have handled Class I and Class III examples.

Those diplomatic-gift pieces, struck circa 1834, are known today as Class I: eight examples exist, all with lettered edges. Decades later, in the late 1850s, additional 1804-dated dollars were struck clandestinely by Mint personnel, without official authorization, for sale and trade to collectors—these later pieces are divided into Class II (plain edge, one known, struck over an 1857-dated Swiss shooting medal and retained by the Mint rather than released) and Class III (lettered edge, six known, later “legitimized” through exchanges with the Mint). The unique Class II specimen has remained in the Mint’s, and later the Smithsonian’s, own collection continuously since it was struck—it has never been privately owned, per the Smithsonian National Numismatic Collection’s own published holdings and PCGS’s population and pedigree data for the issue.

How to evaluate a claimed Class II 1804 dollar

Understand that the known example has never left government hands

The Smithsonian’s Class II specimen is not, and has never been, available for private purchase. There is no private-market history to reference for this specific coin.

Confirm whether a claimed “1804 dollar” is actually Class I or Class III

Because Class I (eight known) and Class III (six known) examples do occasionally trade among major collectors, most claimed “1804 dollar” offerings you’ll actually encounter belong to one of those two classes, not Class II. Confirm exactly which class is being referenced—the edge type (lettered versus plain) and known specimen count are the key distinguishing details.

Treat any claimed private Class II example as almost certainly incorrect

Since the one known Class II example has remained institutionally held since it was struck, a coin offered as a “Class II 1804 dollar” available for private purchase should be treated with serious skepticism and verified by major numismatic experts before being taken seriously.

Suggested search terms and filters

A search for “1804 dollar Class II” in ordinary dealer inventory should be expected to return no genuine results—the only known example is a permanent Smithsonian holding, not market inventory.

Availability and pricing notes

There is no market history for this specific coin, since its only known example has never been sold. Collectors interested in an “1804 dollar” more broadly should understand that Class I and Class III examples are the ones that occasionally appear at major auctions—Class II is not part of that market.

How the GetCoinHunt wishlist alert works

1. Search for the coin to confirm nothing questionable is currently listed.
2. Add it to your wishlist if you’d like to be notified of any claimed listing, purely for evaluation.
3. Treat any match with extreme scrutiny, and confirm carefully whether it’s actually a Class I or Class III coin rather than the institutionally held Class II specimen.

Frequently asked questions

How many Class II 1804 dollars exist?

One, and it has been held in government/institutional collections (the Mint, then the Smithsonian) continuously since it was struck—it has never been privately owned.

Why are there three different “classes” of 1804 dollar?

None were struck in 1804 itself. Class I pieces were struck around 1834 as diplomatic gifts, using the last authorized dollar date. Class II and Class III pieces were struck later, in the late 1850s, without official authorization, for sale and trade to collectors—Class II has a plain edge and was retained by the Mint, while Class III has a lettered edge and was later exchanged into private hands.

Can I buy a Class II 1804 dollar?

No. The only known example has never left government or institutional ownership.

What’s the difference between Class II and Class III 1804 dollars?

Class II has a plain edge and is unique, permanently Smithsonian-held. Class III pieces have a lettered edge similar to Class I, along with a specific die-crack diagnostic, and six are known, having been exchanged out of Mint hands into private collections.

If Class I and Class III 1804 dollars do trade, is Class II ever going to become available?

There’s no indication of that. Unlike the Class III pieces, which were deliberately exchanged into private hands, the Class II specimen has remained a fixed part of the national collection since it was made.

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