1879 Four Dollar Gold 'Stellas' (1879-1880)

Intriguing History

A rival design by George Morgan, featuring Liberty with tightly coiled hair, competed alongside the more common Flowing Hair Stella in 1879, struck in far smaller numbers and prized today as one of the great rarities among American pattern coins. Although stellas traditionally have been cataloged with U.S. patterns, collectors increasingly treat them alongside regular federal gold issues because of their prominence and longstanding inclusion in major U.S. coin references. An 1880 Coiled Hair Stella, Judd-1660, Pollock-1860, graded PR64 Cameo by PCGS, is even scarcer. Heritage has identified 10 surviving examples, the lowest population among the four principal stella varieties.