1905 G$1 Lewis and Clark MS63 认证号04696650, PCGS号7448

The Louisiana Purchase from France in 1903 brought vast unexplored territory under United States control. President Jefferson ordered Captain Meriwether Lewis and William Clark to explore the upper valley of the Missouri River and beyond for a waterway to the Pacific Ocean. Allthough, they failed to find an all-water route to the Pacific, they did explore, with the help of the Shoshone guide, Sacagawea, the vast area of the Missouri and Columbia River Basins. After two years of exploration and 8,500 miles, they returned to St. Louis on March 23, 1806. The Lewis and Clark Exposition was held in 1905 in Portland, Oregon to commemorate the centennial of the Corps of Discovery Expedition. For the expostion the Philadelphia Mint issued two gold dollars dated 1904 and 1905. These gold dollars have the distiction of being the only two-headed coin minted by the United States Mint. On one side of the coin (the side dated 1904 or 1905) is a portrait of Meriwether Lewis and on the other is the portrait of William Clark. The two headed design of the coin also has lead to its scarcity in high grades. The coins are the rarest of all the commemorative gold dollars in high grades as both coins are prone to hairlining and scratching in the open fields of both sides. A few brilliant proofs were issued for both years and are very rare and should not be confused with prooflike business strikes. Both coins have been counterfeited extensively and before purchase should be authenticated by an expert or third party grading service.