Q. David Bowers
CAPITALIZATION: In original mint reports, newspaper articles, etc., capitalization was erratic. Trade dollar was often capitalized as Trade Dollar or Trade dollar, standard dollar (referring to a Morgan or Peace silver dollar) was often capitalized as Standard Dollar, etc. In the present text, numismatic usage has been followed, and denominations are not capitalized (nor is the hyphenated form trade-dollar used; this appeared in some government documents). Grades of coins such as Very Fine, Extremely Fine, Uncirculated, Proof, etc., are capitalized, per current standard numismatic practice, and quotations from early auction catalogues, etc., have been edited to reflect this.
CATALOGUE LISTINGS of silver dollars and trade dollars reprinted to show auction and fixed prices over the years are arranged by date and variety; the order of presentation in the original auction catalogue or price list may have been different (for example, B. Max Mehl often listed coins separately in categories by mints). For the sake of brevity, abbreviations have been used for grades (see GRADING below). For the sake of consistency, overdates are expressed as, for example, 1802/1; in the original listings, descriptions varied such as 1802 cut over 1801, 1802 over '01, etc. In many instances, descriptions of star placements on early dollars have been standardized to modern terminology, such as Stars 9x7. Most standard descriptions of dies adapted from Haseltine or Bolender have been deleted from auction lot descriptions, as such descriptions can be found in the individual sections for varieties. For example, an entry in a 1952 Bolender auction originally appeared as follows: "1795 silver dollar. B-3. Flowing hair in six curls, the third one from the top turns and touches the fourth curl. The only variety with 16 berries in wreath, 8 on each branch. Strictly Very Fine, sharp even impressions. Scarce variety, Rarity-4. Plate. (Both obverse and reverse of this very coin used in book for illustrations on plate I.) Geo. M. Parsons Coll'n. $70." In the present text, it has been edited to this: "1795 B-3. Flowing hair. Strictly VF, sharp even impressions. Plate. (Both obverse and reverse of this very coin used in book for illustrations on plate I.) Geo. M. Parsons CoII'n. $70." Information about the die characteristics and rarity of 1795 B-3 can be found under the section on 1795 Flowing Hair dollars. Original auction catalogue notations such as "1850 New Orleans issue" have been changed to 1850-O, etc. Certain catalogue descriptions, especially those published after about 1960, have been edited for length (sometimes to the point of just indicating the date, variety, and grade), as have been long descriptions of 1804 dollars and certain other rarities from all time periods; otherwise it would not have been possible to include information from such a large number of auction sales.
CURRENCY: The term currency, used in the late twentieth century to mean paper money, had multiple definitions in the nineteenth century. It was popular to refer to anything that circulated, including copper, silver, and gold coins, as currency. In other words, currency referred to media of exchange that were current in circulation.
DEXTER and SINISTER: The terms dexter (the heraldic indication ofright) and sinister (the heraldic indication for left) are used to describe the eagle's anatomy in certain issues. For example, on the trade dollar the eagle's dexter leg refers to the eagle's right leg, which is on the left side of the coin (and to the observer's left). Similarly, the dexter wing of an eagle refers to the eagle's right wing (to the observer's left).
EDITING: Quoted passages have been lightly edited in some instances. Auction catalogue listings have been condensed in many instances, to primarily reflect the date, variety, grade, and price. Spelling errors have been corrected.
FOOTNOTES: Footnotes in all instances, including quoted material, are those of the author of the present work (QDB). Original footnotes are included in parentheses in reproduced quoted material such as Mint reports.
GOVERNMENT: The word government, when used in a general sense, as in government policies, United States government, etc., is not capitalized. The same applies to federal. In original quotations capitalization was inconsistent.
GRADING: Grading terminology follows that in Official Grading Standards for United States Coins, by the American Numismatic Association. In addition to numerical grades such as EF-40, MS-60, etc., adjectival grading is used in connection with older prices, sale results, and catalogue listings (as numerical grading for silver dollars was not standardized in its present form until 1986). Certain grades have been abbreviated: Very Good = VG, Very Fine = VF, Extremely Fine = EF, About Uncirculated = AU, Uncirculated = Unc., Mint State = MS. These grades have also been standardized in price quotations, such as listings in advertisements reproduced from The Numismatist. For example, in the present text, EF (for Extremely Fine) is used for consistency, although original listings also included such variations as XF, E. Fine, Ex. Fine, Extra Fine, Exceedingly Fine, etc.; what is standardized in the present text as AU (About Uncirculated) sometimes appeared in advertisements as Nearly Uncirculated, Almost Uncirculated, Uncirculated with rubbing, "slider," "super slider," etc. The terms Uncirculated and Mint State are synonyms.