Walter Breen's Encyclopedia of United States and Colonial Proof Coins 1722-1989

Silver Dollar. [550-] *B-1. Date slants very slightly up. Rev.: Two arrowheads join each other; inner circle arc at beads over UNITE. This die was later used for 1853 proofs (restrikes).

Silver-minor proof sets. [550] Delivered Jan. 27. Some 430 sold as sets Feb. 1862 - Feb. 1863, rest melted. Garrett: 298, $2700 - cheap. Other individual coins may have been sold. Most of the sets now extant were assembled in recent decades. This could be done very cheaply during the 1940's and early 1950's. Note that on Jan. 13, 1862 the Melter & Refiner received from the Treasurer of the Mint some 1,061 silver proof sets of previous years together with "odd amounts" of obsolete proofs, these evidently being extra dollars and other denominations unsold in 1860-61.

Gold Dollar. [35] B-7. Obv. Polish in first feather (12:00). Rev. Some leaves hollow. Heavy low date. Less than 20, possibly less than 15 survive. Several of the known examples are nicked or poorly cleaned.

Quarter Eagle. [35] Very low date. Reverse of 1860-61. In a rarity class with preceding, probably a trifle rarer. The number of survivors may be as low as a dozen. (1) S1. (2) ANS. (3) Boyd, WGC: 130, possibly "Memorable": 121. (4) Atwater: 1966. (5) Menjou:1212. (6) Golden I: 2285. (7) Melish:1255, J. W. (8) Jay:271, Scanlon:2091, $1,700. (9) Ullmer:368 (lint mark from F to wing tip), $4,250. (10) Davis-Graves :876, in set. This list probably includes a couple of duplications. Early catalogues did not illustrate proof quarter eagles except for 1841, 1863.

Three Dollars. [35] *B-3. Obv. of 1861 proofs. Date a little below center of space and placed to left, slanting up minutely; r. edge of 2 about under r. foot of A; r. edge of 6 not appreciably beyond L, unlike nonproofs. Same logotype as quarter eagle. About equally rare with the quarter eagle. (1) S1. (2) ANS. (3) Kern:205, Grant Pierce: 1249, Jay:279, Scanlon: 2210, $5,250. (4) Eliasberg. (5) Garrett:401, $9,500. (6) Davis-Graves:875, in set. (7) Melish:1384, J. W. (8) Wolfson: 287, Ullmer:413. (9) Breen 1:116, obv. lint mark near base of D. A couple of others were floating around in the 1950's, one somewhat impaired.

Half Eagle. [35] *B-1. Low date, placed to r., nearer to 13th than to first star; left base of 1 above space; small date as on quarter eagle and three, but more heavily punched. Extremely rare. (1) S1. (2) ANS. (3) Davis-Graves: 874 in set. (4) Newcomer, Boyd, WGC:416, possibly reappearing as "Memorable":363 and/or Menjou 1:1507. (5) Garrett:400. (6) Amon Carter Sr. & Jr. (7) Baldenhofer:1330. (8) Ullmer: 449, hairlined, $7,000. (9) Eliasberg. There may be a couple of duplications above. Not over three others reported and even those may duplicate the above.

Eagle. [35] B-1. Large date, placed low, slanting down a little to r., 2 nearer border than 1; left base of 1 almost over r. edge; date nearer first than 13th star. (1) S1. (2) ANS. (3) Garrett: 399, cleaned. (4) Eliasberg. (5) Amon Carter Sr. & Jr. (6) WGC:667, possibly same as Menjou: 1603. (7) Melish: 2449 to Ben Stack. (8) Jay: 318, Dines:826. (9) Davis-Graves:873, in set. (10) Davis-Graves: 942, impaired. There are probably a couple of duplications among these. One was traded off by Dr. Sloss about 1959. The copper proofs with GOD OUR TRUST come not only with this obv. die (Judd 297-8 ills.) but also with a different obv., date about centered and too far right (as in 1863), the 2 almost in line with r. corner of truncation (AW 356 ill.). It is not known if any regular specimens (no motto) exist with this obverse; if so they are probably restrikes.

Double Eagle. [35] Shallow date, like the eagle; 1 about center of space between bust and border, left base over space. Border beads well apart. In the same rarity class with the eagle and half eagle. (1) S1. (2) ANS. (3) Garrett: 398, $20,000. (4) Eliasberg. (5) Amon Carter Sr. & Jr., possibly ex Kern. (6) WGC:865, "Memorable": 687. (7) Wolfson: 879, possibly same as last. (8) Davis-Graves: 872 in set. (9) Bell I, "H.R. Lee", NN 49:113, Jay:327, Dines: 870. Tiny spot on head below 8th star. (10) KS 3/65: 183, same as one of last? At least one other impaired specimen known.

Gold proof sets. [35] All delivered Feb. 16. Parmelee's set (: 1322-26) was dispersed, going to Woodin, H. P. Smith and David Proskey for unknown buyers. The Davis-Graves set (:872-77), perfect and possibly original from Mint to R. Coulton Davis, was also dispersed. The Garrett set was also dispersed, totaling $51,000. Proof gold of 1862 is all grossly undervalued in comparison to 1863-65, probably because the 1863 quarter eagleand the smaller denominations of 1863-65 have given these dates a glamor not present in the 1862 group.

Complete proof sets. One of the two known went to the Mint Cabinet on April 11 for $43.52 (face value + 8¢, specie), and is now in S1. The other went to R. C. W. Brock at some unknown date, thence to J. Pierpont Morgan and ANS.

1863

Cent. [460+] Heavy numerals, left base of 1 slightly r. of left edge; tip of 1 minutely nearer bust than base is to border. Other dies may exist. Same comments as to 1861-62. Possibly a few more are around than of 1862, but not enough to make a great deal of difference in fair price levels. Many survivors have been cleaned, possibly to remove spots.

At least four experimental proofs were made with edges reeded, apparently for protection. By 1863, owing to soaring European prices and exhaustion of Joseph Wharton's nickel mines (the Mint's major source), nickel was already a precious metal, nearly as valuable as silver. The four proofs with this edge

(Judd 300): (1) Dr. Judd, "Ill. Hist.":262, probably ex either Newcomer or Judson Brenner. (2) Col. James M. Wade, W. C. Blaisdell, 1971 ANA:302. (3) "Gilhousen": 1499. (4) 1974 GENA: 1250. It is barely possible that either of the last two could be a reappearance of one of the first two. Business strikes with this edge are thought to have been altered after striking.

1863 L. Pointed bust as in 1864. Thought to be a piece de caprice made either at year's end or in 1864. Copper-nickel: (1) Olsen; (2) "Gilhousen": 260; (3) "Dupont": 1174; others. Bronze: (1) NN 35:590; others. Estimated 4 or 5 of each.