When the topic of the most important and famous American coins is broached, several rarities come to mind. Among them is the 1933 double eagle, holder of the current record for most valuable coin ever sold at auction, at $18 million. There is also the 1913 Liberty Head nickel, with its shadowy origins and sparse mintage. And there is the 1822 half eagle, which owes its rarity to the economic realities of the time and has been known as a key issue for over a century and a half.

However, only one U.S. issue has been crowned the "King of United States Coins" by many of the most respected names across numismatics' entire history: the 1804 dollar. No other coin has ranked #1 in Jeff Garrett's 100 Greatest U.S. Coins more than once, but the 1804 dollar has achieved that distinction four times in six editions. History will surely continue to affirm this statement: The 1804 dollar is the United States' greatest coin.

Heritage Auctions offered the Adams-Carter specimen of the 1804 dollar during the FUN U.S. Coins Signature Auction. It sold for $3.538 million. The price earned the coin a spot among the 20 coins listed in the Heritage Hall of Fame .

The Adams-Carter specimen is arguably the most prominent fixture among the Class III coins, boasting one of the longest provenances of any specimen and ranking for many decades as the finest Class III still held in private hands. This was the 1804 dollar owned by many of the most prominent collectors throughout history, and the next numismatist to add their name to its provenance will hold a unique place in numismatic history.

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