The 1804 Bust Dollar occupies a peculiar place in American numismatic history: none were actually struck in 1804. The coins bearing that date were produced by the U.S. Mint in the 1830s as diplomatic presentation pieces, intended as gifts for foreign dignitaries during Edmund Roberts' trade missions to Asia. Only fifteen are known to exist across two distinct classes, and a single example sold at auction in 1999 for over four million dollars. This Solomon Islands issue commemorates the "King of American Coins," specifically the Dexter specimen — named for the 19th-century owner James Vila Dexter.
The 1804 Bust Dollar occupies a peculiar place in American numismatic history: none were actually struck in 1804. The coins bearing that date were produced by the U.S. Mint in the 1830s as diplomatic presentation pieces, intended as gifts for foreign dignitaries during Edmund Roberts' trade missions to Asia. Only fifteen are known to exist across two distinct classes, and a single example sold at auction in 1999 for over four million dollars. This Solomon Islands issue commemorates the "King of American Coins," specifically the Dexter specimen — named for the 19th-century owner James Vila Dexter.