The King of American Coins, in Gold
The 1804 silver dollar is the most talked about coin the United States has ever made, and until now the Mint had never put its design on a modern piece. This set does, pairing a one ounce gold coin carrying the 1804 dollar design with a one ounce silver medal struck as its companion. It is the fourth of five releases in the Best of the Mint program for the country’s 250th year.
Why 1804 Is Famous
No silver dollars dated 1804 were actually struck in 1804. The first 1804-dated dollars were made around 1834 for diplomatic gift sets, presentation pieces handed to foreign heads of state, and only about fifteen are known today. That scarcity, and the story behind it, is why collectors call it the King of American Coins. The original Draped Bust portrait traces back to early Mint engraver Robert Scot, and it is that portrait the gold coin in this set reproduces.
What Is in the Set
The gold coin is one troy ounce of .9999 fine gold, struck in high relief at West Point with no mint mark. The obverse is the Draped Bust Liberty facing right, ribbon in her hair, thirteen stars around, with LIBERTY and 1804 and a small Liberty Bell privy mark holding the numeral 250 for the anniversary. The reverse is the heraldic eagle with the Union shield, a scroll reading E PLURIBUS UNUM, and thirteen arrows against an olive branch. The edge carries the old denomination wording, HUNDRED CENTS ONE DOLLAR OR UNIT.
The silver medal is one troy ounce of .999 fine silver, struck at Philadelphia, and it sits larger across than the coin. Its designs draw on the 1804 dollar and on the voyage to Asia those first dollars were minted for, with a flowing-haired Liberty on one side and an eagle above a clouded globe on the other. Coin and medal are sold only together, packed in the Mint’s case with a certificate of authenticity.
What You Are Paying For
Add up the metal and this set holds about one ounce of gold and one ounce of silver. The price sits well above that, and it should. You are paying for the Mint’s rarest design rendered in high relief for the first time, the 250 privy mark, a run capped at 15,000 sets, and the Mint’s packaging and certificate. This is a collectible, and its value comes from the design, the low cap, and the story rather than the melt.
One more thing worth saying plainly. This is a 2026 tribute, not a genuine 1804 dollar. The real ones sell for millions and there are only about fifteen. What you are buying is the United States Mint’s modern version of that coin, dated 1804 the way the design is dated, and struck this year.
Specifications
The set is one coin and one medal. The gold coin is .9999 fine, one troy ounce, 30.61 mm across, struck at West Point with a lettered edge and no mint mark. The silver medal is .999 fine, one troy ounce, 40.6 mm across, struck at Philadelphia with a plain edge. Total release is 15,000 sets, and each ships with a certificate of authenticity. Finish, designer credits and packaging detail are on the Specifications tab.
1804 Silver Dollar Set FAQ
Is this a real 1804 silver dollar?
No. Genuine 1804 dollars were struck in the 1800s, number about fifteen, and sell for millions. This is a 2026 United States Mint set that reproduces the 1804 design on a new gold coin and pairs it with a silver medal.
Does the gold coin have a face value?
It is a United States Mint gold coin, and its edge carries the historic denomination wording, HUNDRED CENTS ONE DOLLAR OR UNIT. The silver piece in the set is a medal, so it has no face value and is not legal tender.
Why does the set cost more than its gold and silver?
Because the metal is only part of it. The set is the Mint’s first modern version of its most famous design, struck in high relief, marked with the 250 anniversary privy, capped at a fixed number of sets, and boxed with a certificate. None of that is bought for melt weight.
What is the Liberty Bell 250 privy mark?
It is a small mark added to the gold coin’s obverse showing a Liberty Bell with the number 250. It marks the 250th anniversary of American independence and identifies the coin as part of the 2026 program.
How are the coin and the medal different?
The gold coin reproduces the 1804 Draped Bust dollar and was struck at West Point. The silver medal is a larger companion piece struck at Philadelphia, with its own designs drawn from the 1804 dollar and the diplomatic voyage those first dollars were made for. They are sold only as a pair.
Reaching for the Mint’s classic gold before this one? Our run from the early modern issues to the newest anniversary releases.
Own the coin the Mint waited two centuries to remake. Add the Best of the Mint 1804 Silver Dollar Gold Coin and Silver Medal Set to your cart.