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

*Twenty Cents. [350] Die lines from foot to border; 1 nearer border than 7; shield point over r. upright. Rev.: Leaf point extends down to C; spine, wing tip to S; incomplete wing feathers at left. Many of the survivors are cleaned, some drastically so; and I have seen several damaged and 3 or 4 circulated ones. All 350 were struck during the first quarter. There were some 450 coins dated 1876 on hand at the beginning of the year; the 400 delivered as of March 31 with the sets presumably contained mixed dates, the 110 at the end of the year probably were mostly 1877's. This left 290 (mostly 1876's?) on hand at the beginning of 1878. I shall attempt to analyze this situation in 1878 under the question of melting and survivors of the twenty-cent piece. The 1877 is a little rarer than its low mintage would suggest, but much less than three times as rare as 1878, probably less than twice as rare.

Quarter Dollar. [880] First die: Date to left, shield point between 18, left base of lover r. edge of dentil.

Second die: shield point minutely r. of upright, left base of lover space (almost over left edge). Rusted in drapery. Rev.: Extension from lowest arrow point. No polish in 7th white stripe or bottoms of 4th to 6th.

Third die: Same obv. as last. Rev.: No polish in any stripes; cracked through DOL., arrows, RICA. 1974 GENA: 1361-2.

Many survivors are impaired, and the total of alleged proofs is swelled by a considerable number of first strikes. Most of these have rather indefinite detail on drapery and many also show bag marks. All 880 proofs were struck during the first quarter. Adding these to the 380 1876's on hand at the beginning of the year, and subtracting the 510 sets delivered during the year, we get a remainder of 750 on hand at the beginning of 1878 - probably mixed dates.

Half Dollar. [580] Beistle describes only one variety: low date, die defects on base of 0 in DOL., often though not always with die cracks through leaves and HAL to rim, L in DOL. to arrowheads, final A and RIC. Most proofs seen are from the Type II hub
(pointed berry as on the later 1876 coins), including that in the set in LM 3/68:299 (below). One with Type I rev. was in LM 3/68:662; which obverse die is uncertain.

The second variety has centered date, shield point minutely r. of upright, left base of 1 central; Type II rev., arrowheads join; no polish in shield. 1974 GENA: 1616, others.

The 1876/77 change of hub appears to have been discovered by A. G. Heaton ("Mint Marks," 1893); this man, in that book, first alerted collectors to differential scarcity of Philadelphia and branch mint coins (changing history in so doing), but collectors to date have mostly ignored this particular type change even as they did that on the trade dollar. Possibly the Liberty Seated Collectors Club will publicize and popularize these changes.

Trade Dollar. [510 reported] Actual mintage unknown; sole source for all these figures, J. P. Kimball, in 1887 Director's Report. I have seen the monthly reports which were his source (cited in Willem) but not the daily delivery figures which might clarify the matter. I mention this specifically because the 1877 Trade is a much rarer coin in proof state than its mintage suggests. All are from a new (1877-85) obv. hub, with first star much closer to horizon than on earlier years; apparently six fingers to branch hand, branch and wheat sheaf are modified in shape, etc. Some 1877 proofs have repunched 18 (1974 GENA: 1165-66).

Silver Proof Sets. [300+?] Under Dimes above, I indicated how the report of 510 sets originated, 400 being delivered during first quarter, 110 more at year's end. It is not at all clear that these were all dated 1877. Because the dime and 20¢, with their smaller known mintages, were part of the regular sets, clearly under 350 and probably not much over 300 sets were actually made dated 1877. Intact sets are exceedingly rare, most being promptly broken up for the 20¢, others later for the minor coins. One, from the 50 made in Oct. 1877, was sent from the mint Nov. 7, 1877, and reappeared in LM 3/68:299; it later became part of a large group of original sets, whereabouts now unknown.

Gold Dollar. [20] *B-1. Date slants up to right. About a dozen to fourteen survivors, some of them impaired by cleaning, nicks or scratches. One in a Schulman-Kreisberg sale of 1960 was even bent. Compare also those in the Smithsonian; ANS Eliasberg; Norweb; "Memorable": 34 and 860; the Melish piece; Golden I: 1466; NN 51: 805; LM 10/69:389; Scanlon: 1991, etc. There are a few moderately deceptive early business strikes (B-2); these have rust pit before ear, date level, doubling on DOLLAR, and the definition on curls, feathers and leaves cannot be compared with that on proofs. A still undervalued date.

Quarter Eagle. [20] *B-1. Date about centered between bust and border; left base of 1 slightly r. of left edge of dentil. Reverse has heavy letters - similar to that found on the 1863. In a rarity class with the gold dollar, though more appear to have been impaired. (1) Smithsonian. (2) ANS.(3) Eliasberg. (4) Wolfson: 216. (5) Brand, Ira Reed, Judge Gaskill, NN 48: 331 - gem with touches of rev. toning. (6) Melish: 1289, J. W. Either this or the Wolfson piece may have originated with the "Memorable" sale. (7) Hairlined, KS April 1959: 2616. (8) Impaired, KS Feb. 1960: 2609, to S.L.M. (9) That in the 1964 ANA Convention auction at $1,150. (10) S 5/68: 776-Scanlon :2116, impaired. Date collector pressure is on this one even as on the gold dollar.