Proof Gold
is our nations treasure that will last the time line for
generations to come to be viewed as artistic masterpieces
as well as investments purchased by art lovers, historic
collectors, as well as Numismatic hobbyists. Gold throughout
history has captivated mankind and always stood for wealth,
mystery and power. Gold has always been the substance
to hold as protection and security against chaos and depression
eras. Proof coinage itself was created by our great nation
as presentation pieces to foreign countries as a sign
of friendship, an alliance you can say, as well as to
show our artistic and technological advancement at the
times of mintage.
The total
mintages for ALL Proof Gold are documented at 28,822 –
That is $1 Gold all the way through $20 Double Eagles.
Consider this, for the Gold Dollar there are 31 dates
to have been proof issues, (keep in mind also that all
Proof issues are from the Philadelphia Mint) from 1849-1889.
For Quarter Eagles there are 57 dates to have been proof
issues, 1796-1929. Three Dollar Gold has a total of only
31 dates that are proof issues 1854-1889. The Four Dollar
Stella’s have all four dates being that of proof
issues taking up 460 proofs from the original 28,822 total.
Half Eagles have a total of 56 dates that are proof issues
1795-1929. My favorite, the Eagles, have a total of 57
dates that are proof issues (with my favorite being the
1804 Plain 4, with only a total of 4 being minted) from
1795-1933. And last but definitely not least is the Double
Eagle it has a total of 58 dates being proof issues from
1850-1933.
So to break it down, out of 294 Proof issued dates, there
are only a total of 28,822 coins to have been minted with
a definite lower number due to coins that actually exist.
Now, to show you the difference in rarity, for the Washington
Quarter Series, 1932 to date there is not one date (business
strike) that comes close to the total of all Proof Gold
(28,822) with the lowest Washington Quarter mintage being
the 1932-D with 436,800 being struck.
Now for the Proof issued Washington Quarters from just
1932-1942 there were a total of 73,875 coins to have been
coined as Proofs. Just 7 dates for only 1 series, or to
pick just the first 7 dates that were proof issues of
the Jefferson Nickels, there was a large number of 173,364
coins to be coined as Proofs. These are not rare coins.
To find a rare Proof Quarter I would go to an 1858 date,
with just 300 being minted as Proof coins. In fact, for
all the Seated Liberty Series Quarters to have been Proof
issues the number only totals 27,251 (with the number
being a lot less for total that exists). That is 36 Proof
issued dates from 1838-1891. This is yet another amazing
fact for people looking to understand real rarities.
These
are more than coins; in my opinion most do not even have
to be in Certified Holders designated as a grade to understand
the value of the particular piece. The mintages are so
low the fact will always stand that hoards of these coins
will never again “pop up out of a persons attic”
or be found in some bank in a distant foreign country.
You can definitely sleep well at night knowing it is a
very safe place to put your money into the purchase of
one of these coins.
Not only
do I love and study these coins, I’ve sold personally
and purchased for myself some of the rarest of rare Proof
Gold coins ever minted.
For example my favorite, the 1804
“plain 4” Proof Eagle example,
a coin of which only 4 were minted with one being in the
ANA museum. In 1980 this coin was valued at $50,000 and
in 2005 was sold by Albanese Rare Coins to a private collection
for $2 + million dollars. A coin in which I am in the
process of writing a book on, I will elaborate on this
coin after my book and press release comes out.