 Edmund Roberts distributed the coins in 1834 and 1835 . Two additional sets were ordered for government officials in Japan and Cochinchina , but Roberts died in Macau before they could be delivered . Besides those 1804 dollars produced for inclusion in the diplomatic sets , the Mint struck some examples which were used to trade with collectors for pieces desired for the Mint 's coin cabinet . Numismatists first became aware of the 1804 dollar in 1842 , when an illustration of one example appeared in a publication authored by two Mint employees . A collector subsequently acquired one example from the Mint in 1843 . In response to numismatic demand , several examples were surreptitiously produced by Mint officials . Unlike the original coins , these later restrikes lacked the correct edge lettering , although later examples released from the Mint bore the correct lettering . The coins produced for the diplomatic mission , those struck surreptitiously without edge lettering and those with lettering are known collectively as " Class I " , " Class II " and " Class III " dollars , respectively . 
