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

Quarter Eagle. [48] *B-1. Centered date, left base of lover center of dentil. Very rare (more than mintage suggests) and seldom offered. QS9/ 73; Gilhousen; others too old to mean much. The deceptive first strikes are from B-2 dies; date lower, 9 close to beads, left base of 1 left of center.

Mintage: 26 struck in June, the other 22 evidently in the second half of the year.

Three Dollars. [129] On the other hand, though this denomination was also discontinued at the end of 1889, there do not appear to have been made extra proofs as souvenirs, unlike the gold dollars, and proofs are many times rarer than those of 1888 - rarer in fact than most of the earlier proof threes of the decade. Only one die variety known, used on proofs and possibly also on uncirculated pieces; date centered. Ullmer's brought $4,750 in May 1974, which is low compared to some less rare earlier dates. It is likely that the old S. Hudson Chapman story (D. S. Wilson, 1907 sale: 349) claiming that large numbers of threes were melted at the Philadelphia Mint after discontinuance of the denomination is true, as this date is far rarer than its mintage suggests.

Mintage: June, 35 proofs; 20 other proofs during the first half year; 7 more in September, 51 in October, 16 in December plus 2300 business strikes. The extant souvenirs are almost always uncirculated pieces.

Half Eagle. [45] Low date slanting slightly up. Rev. No die file marks in white stripes. Very rare, seldom offered; subject to great date collector pressure as comparatively few of the 7,520 business strikes survive. (1) S1. (2) Eliasberg. (3) Bell I, Eliasberg, "H. R. Lee": 1313, NN 49: 481. (4) Geiss:1649. (5) Holmes:3603. (6) Golden II: 2302. (7) Scanlon: 2368, $2,600. (8) Ullmer: 462, $3,250. Few others mostly at private sale.
Mintage: Nothing known except that 26 were struck in June, the others probably in the last half year.

Eagle. [45] Rarest denomination of the year except possibly for the double eagle; possibly a dozen survivors. Under immense date collector pressure as very few of the 4,440 business strikes survive. (1) SI. (2) ANS. (3) Eliasberg. (4) Davis-Graves: 967. (5) Melish:2524. (6) DiBello: 1114, hairlined. Few others, none lately offered. Date high, to right.

Mintage: Nothing known beyond that 35 were coined in June, the other 10 probably in the second half year.

Double Eagle. [41] Date about centered. In a class with the eagle; same comments. (1) SI. (2) ANS. (3) Eliasberg. (4) Amon Carter Sr. & Jr., possibly ex Atwater:1281 and/or Dr. Green: 758. (5) Amon Carter Jr. duplicate. (6) Boyd, WGC:898, "Memorable":709. (7) Bell I, Eliasberg, HR. R.Lee", NN 49: 152. Tiny rim flan defect opposite 4th star. (8) Brand, Geiss:2014. (9) Melish: 1010, obv. field nick. (10) Wolfson :947, possibly same as one of last three. (11) DiBello: 1276, field rubbed.

Mintage: 28 in June, the other 13 probably in the second half year.

Gold proof sets. Number minted unknown, probably under 40, mostly dispersed on behalf of collectors needing the higher denominations. No 6-piece sets reported aside from the two included in the complete sets, below.

Complete proof sets. (1) SI, ex Mint, from Coiner Oct. 26 (!) at face; ANS, from Mint, Brock, Morgan.