Lot 1476
1854-O. NGC graded AU-55. Untoned. Only 24,000 struck. Popular as the only "O" mint $3.00 gold coin. For the date, a slightly frosty, pale golden AU with residual warm gold hints within the letters of the legends on both sides. No objectionable marks. Choice rims free of bumps and breaks in the denticles. Attractively struck as well, with just a hint of softness at STATES OF AMERICA as well as on the mintmark and ribbon bow of the wreath (PCGS # 7971) .
Historical associations: Amusing things happen in a nation as diverse as the United States was in the 19th Century. Even in 1854, the year that this rare Three Gold Dollar saw first light, the American government was up to its usual pie-in-the-sky experiments. It was around this time that the Congress appropriated $30,000 to create the U.S. Camel Corps., an experiment by the army in using camels as pack animals in the Southwest United States.
While the camels proved to be well-suited to travel through the region, their unpleasant disposition and habit of frightening horses is believed to be responsible for their failure to be adopted as a mode of transportation in the United States. The plan fizzled in the early 1860s with the onset of the Civil War.
The idea of using camels for military transport in the U.S. dated back to 1836, when second lieutenant George H. Crossman began pressuring the United States Department of War to use camels in campaigns against Native Americans in Florida. It was not until after the U.S.-Mexican War (1846-1848) that the idea was taken seriously. One has to wonder, Why is it that so many schemes are "taken seriously" by the government officials? Is it because they are using Other People's Money (OPM) to hatch out their plans?
Estimated Value $8,000 - 9,000.
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| Realized $6,613 |
