The 1857 dollar has an interesting history. Although it was produced in serious numbers (close to one million), it was almost entirely made for export to China where the majority were melted down. Some say these were also melted in Philadelphia to make metal for subsidiary coins that were in higher demand. These did not circulate domestically ( or at least weren't made for that purpose). Today, the 1857 is almost as rare as the 1854 or 1855 dollars, making this very expensive in just about any grade.