1858-Da

Dahlonega delivered 3,477 gold dollars in 1858, roughly matching the previous year's output. The Georgia mint had settled into a pattern of minimal annual production, turning out a few thousand gold dollars per year with whatever bullion came through the door. The 1858-D shows the same production characteristics as all Dahlonega coins: soft strikes, olive-toned surfaces, and slightly inconsistent planchet quality.

PCGS estimates roughly 50 to 75 survive across all grades. The typical example grades between Fine and Very Fine. Extremely Fine coins are scarce, and Uncirculated pieces are rare. An AU55 sold for $9,400 at Heritage in January 2012. The 1858-D is one of the middle-tier Dahlonega gold dollar rarities, more available than the 1856-D or 1861-D but still a genuine challenge for set builders.

Dahlonega gold dollars from the late 1850s occupy a special place in numismatics because the mint's closure was approaching. The facility would strike its last coins in 1861, and each late-date Dahlonega issue carries the poignancy of a mint running down the clock on a short and troubled operational life.