Q. David Bowers
S.H. and H. Chapman's sale (owner's name not stated) of June 17-18, 1889, included a group of Liberty Seated dollars as listed below. At the time the brash, youthful Chapman brothers were envied by many of their competitors for, unreasonably it seemed to them, many nice coins were consigned to the Chapmans for sale.
1843 EF. Mint lustre. $1.50.
1844 VF $1.50.
1844 VG $1.00.
1845 VG. Scarce. $1.75.
1846 EF. Mint lustre. $1.00.
1850 Proof, slightly circulated, still a beautiful dollar. $2.10.
1853 EF $1.40.
1855 VF. Very rare. $4.00.
1856 EF. Mint lustre. $2.75.
1857 EF. Mint lustre. $2.50.
1857 VF $2.00.
1860 Br. Proof $1.55.
1862 Br. Proof $1.55.
1863 Br. Proof $1.55.
1866 Br. Proof $1.55.
1871 Br. Proof $1.40.
1872 Br. Proof $1.25.
1873 Br. Proof $1.40.
The Robert Coulton Davis Collection sold by the New York Stamp & Coin Co., January 20-24, 1890. Davis was one of the leading numismatists of his era and (not relevant to the listing here) was a pioneer in the cataloguing of pattern coin varieties.
The Davis Collection contained numerous rarities, including many Proof examples of early dates, among which was a restrike 1853 (the status of which, apparently, was not known to the cataloguer, David Proskey). Note that even in 1890, it was known that the stars on 1857 dollars are usually weakly struck.
1840 But little circulated. $2.30.
1841 Sharp and Unc. $1.80.
1842 Unc.; Proof surface. $3.20.
1843 Light nicks; otherwise sharp and Unc, $1.50.
1844 Fine sharp impression; minute nicks in field; otherwise Proof surface; rare. $2.60.
1845 Minute nicks; otherwise Unc. $2.10.
1846 Sharp and perfect Proof; very rare. $19.00.
1847 Sharp and brilliant Proof; rare. $15.50.
1848 Minute nicks; otherwise Unc, $2.10.
1849 Sharp and perfect Proof; rare. $17.00.
1850 Sharp and perfect Proof; rare. $10.50.
1851 Sharp and perfect Proof; very rare. $48.00.
1852 Sharp and perfect Proof; very rare. $47.00.
1853 Proof; sharp and perfect; very rare. Some years ago Mr. W.E. Woodward in one of his catalogues, claimed that no Proofs of this year were struck. $16.50.
1854 Sharp and perfect Proof; very rare. $18.00.
1855 Sharp and perfect Proof; very rare. $16.00.
1856 VF Proof; light nick under eagle's wing; otherwise perfect and sharp. $10.00.
1857 Sharp and perfect Proof; rarely found with stars all sharp. $8.50.
1858 Sharp and perfect Proof; very rare. $40.00.
1859 Sharp and perfect Proof $1.50.
1859 New Orleans; brilliant and Unc, $1.50.
1860 Sharp and perfect Proof; excepting nick above eagle's wing. $1.55.
1861 Sharp and perfect Proof; excepting two faint nicks on reverse. $1.55.
1862 Sharp and perfect Proof $1.25.
1863 Sharp and perfect Proof $1.35.
1864 Sharp and perfect Proof; scarce. $2.25.
1865 Sharp and perfect Proof; scarce. $1.70.
1866 Sharp and perfect Proof $1.80.
1867 Sharp and perfect Proof $1.95.
1868 Sharp and perfect Proof $1.75.
1869 Sharp and perfect Proof $1.55.
1870 Sharp and perfect Proof $1.55.
1870-CC Sharp, brilliant Unc. $3.10.
1871 Sharp and perfect Proof $1.45.
1872 Sharp and perfect Proof $1.40.
1873 Sharp and perfect Proof $1.40.
Charles Steigerwalt's fixed price list, April 1892. In this offering, the well-known Lancaster (Pennsylvania) dealer likes the adjective "barely."
1843 Barely circulated. Proof surface. $1.75.
1846 Barely touched. Mint bloom. $1.75.
1848 Barely circulated. Some Proof surface. $2.50.
1849 Barely circulated. $1.75.
1853 Barely circulated. Mint bloom. $2.00.
1854 EF $7.50.
1855 VF $5.00.
1857 But little circulated. $3.50.