Walter Breen
Garrett's (one tiny spot) realized $7,250. Others have been playing Musical Bourse Tables, mostly nicked up.
Gold proof sets. Not more than 51 could have been made and probably 45 to 50 would be more nearly correct. No late auction records, except Garrett's, totalling $15,500. Sets are included in the complete sets. Cf. Ten Eyck: 336.
Complete proof sets. Smithsonian, from Mint, from Coiner; ANS, from Mint, Brock, Morgan. Probably others exist: see under 1894.
1896
Cent. [1862] Normal date; much like 1894-95 in physical properties. Has been hoarded, as apparently have 1894-95. Sometimes with faint recutting atop 6. - Normal 6. Rarely, scattered horizontal die file marks on lower bust, neck, curls; plain die file mark nearly vertically down from eye.
Five Cents. [1862] Hoarded and speculated in to a preposterous extent so that auction records of $100-$125 recurred in the middle 1960's (not much higher since). There is not even the excuse of low mintage here; this date has only the sixth lowest mintage of proof nickels of this design, and only the fifth lowest mintage of business strikes, yet it has the highest listing among Philadelphia nickels aside from the 1885, 1886, and 1894. See comment to 1894.
Minor proof sets. [1862] Formerly fairly frequent, mostly now broken up on behalf of nickelheaded - er -knuckleheaded nickel speculators.
Dime. [762] Date without recutting only. Available for a price.
Quarter. [762] Same comment.
Half Dollar. [762] Same comment. Usually comes poorly cleaned. There may be more than one minute positional variety.
Silver Dollar. [762] Same comments. This and the next few dates have lower proof mintages than others since the design began (save for 1887, 1890-91) but the speculators have not put quite so much pressure on them. VAM -: "near date," left base of lover space.
Silver proof sets. [762] Formerly available, some even in the original wrappers, but these have apparently mostly been dispersed, others assembled from individual coins. Garrett's went at $2,500.
Quarter Eagle. [132] Date far to r., knob of 6 close to end of truncation, left base of lover left edge. Ullmer:389 brought $1,800; Garrett's, $1,700. As the mintage of business strikes is fairly low, the surprise is not to find more date collector pressure. Possibly there are enough uncirculated ones to go around.
Half Eagle. [103] Low date to left. Same comment; rarer coin, few auction records, much rarer than its mintage suggests. Garrett:526 brought $2,200.
Eagle. [78] Date placed to left, about centered between bust and border. Rarest denomination of the year in proof; few recent auction records. KS 2/60; Wolfson:782; DiBello:1132; Garrett:525, $4,800.
Double Eagle. [128] In date 1 minutely below center of space between bust and border; left base of 1 well to r. of center. Same comment as to 1894. Ullmer:139 brought $19,000, but the 3 or 4 others making the rounds of convention bourses have been uniformly quoted 20% to 30% below that depending on how many nicks show through the plastic holders. Breen II:139, ex Wolfson:967, obv. pin scratch opposite chin, slept at $5,000: an expensive scratch.
Gold proof sets. Not over 78 could have been made, probably under 75; most have doubtless been dispersed. Garrett's totalled $14,950 as individual coins. Cf. Ten Eyck:337.
Complete proof sets. SI; ANS; and for the rest see under 1894.
1897
Cent. [1938] Normal date. No peculiarities. Available in almost any color desired, natural or otherwise, the latter more often.
Five Cents. [1938] Normal date. Possibly 2 or 3 minute positional variants. Available in almost any color desired, though many of the more beautifully toned ones, traversing the rainbow, have gone to the cleaners -and come back again unrecognizable, the glory departed.
Minor proof sets. [1938] Same comment as to 1892. Dimes. [731] Several positional varieties. B-1. 7 touches bust. Landau: 489.
- B-3. 7 free of bust, date not recut. Proofs are less often seen.' There is also the anomalous piece sold as Landau: 490, showing very weakly hubbed wreath; this had brilliantly polished dies on a blank of the same kind normally used for proofs, but the planchet received only one blow from them. I have not seen another example of this variety.
Quarter. [731] No special peculiarities. Too often cleaned.
Half Dollar. [731] Same comment, only more so.
Silver Dollar. [731] Ditto. Doubled and redoubled. VAM -: repunching on 1 below upper serif, microscopically on 8 near where loops join; "near date," closed 9. 1974 GENA: 1130, others.
Silver proof sets. [731] Same comment as to 1896. There may be still some few available as obtained from the mint, in estates and old collections; this remark holds true for the remaining years through 1915. Garrett's brought $2500.
Quarter Eagle. [136] *B-1. Two tiny dots in center at ear. Date slightly below center, left base of 1 left of center. Identical comment to 1896. Ullmer: 390 brought $1,500; Garrett:531, $1700; 1974 ANA:840, $1950.
Half Eagle. [83] Date quite low, to left, slanting up to r. Most recent auction records appear to be Garrett:530 at $2,100, and Ullmer:468 at $2,200. Compare also Wolfson: 2744 and KS 2/60. About as rare as 1895 and other low mintage dates in the earlier nineties. One of these is ex Kern: 407.