Dan Hughes
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The first thing you notice about a gold dollar is how tiny it is - about a half inch across. And it weighs about 1/25 of an ounce, or about half the weight of a dime.
Then if you're especially perceptive, you might notice that Lady Liberty has the same facial outline as the Indian on the Indian head penny. Why? Because somebody was lazy....
The gold dollar was minted for just 41 years, from 1849 to 1889. But in that short time, its design was changed three times.
Its gold content is worth less than $60.00, but its collectible value can be over a quarter of a million dollars.
Why was the gold dollar made thinner in 1854? Why was it discontinued? What two factors caused its downfall? How did the Civil War affect our gold coin minting? Why were gold coins used more in the early 1850s than at any other time?
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