The 1804 dollar is one of the most storied deceptions in American numismatics — not because of forgery, but because of official government action. No dollars were actually struck for circulation in 1804; the date on these pieces refers to the last year dollars appeared in Mint records, not the year of manufacture. The coins were produced in the 1830s as diplomatic presentation pieces, intended as gifts for foreign dignitaries during Edmund Roberts's trade missions to Asia and the Middle East.
A steel composition at 20 grams is an immediate disqualifier. No genuine specimen of any class would respond to a magnet.
The 1804 dollar is one of the most storied deceptions in American numismatics — not because of forgery, but because of official government action. No dollars were actually struck for circulation in 1804; the date on these pieces refers to the last year dollars appeared in Mint records, not the year of manufacture. The coins were produced in the 1830s as diplomatic presentation pieces, intended as gifts for foreign dignitaries during Edmund Roberts's trade missions to Asia and the Middle East.
A steel composition at 20 grams is an immediate disqualifier. No genuine specimen of any class would respond to a magnet.