Q. David Bowers
Scott's Catalogue of Gold and Silver Coins, 1893, gave the following prices for Liberty Seated silver dollars. At the time there was very little interest in collecting mintmarks, and no premium was attached to them. In any event, the prices for mintmarks reflect neither their rarity nor their availability; pity the poor catalogue buyer with $10 to spend, with the hope that this would buy him Uncirculated examples of 1870-CC, 1871-CC, 1872-CC, and 1873-CCI Actually, these coins were great rarities back then; it is just that few people realized it.
The Scott catalogue was a hasty piece of work, but it was better than nothing-for there were no comparable collectors' guides to prices on the market. Reading such catalogues can lull a researcher into thinking that issues which are rare today were common then, but in most instances that was-not the case. Not a single collection formed in the nineteenth century had a complete set of Liberty Seated mintmarks in Uncirculated grade!
Apparently, as the 1873-S was listed in Mint reports, and as little had been published on mintmarks, it was believed that specimens existed; at least no one had stated anything to the contrary.
1840 Good $2.00, Fine $3.00
1841 Good $2.00, Fine $3.00
1842 Good $2.00, Fine $3.00
1843 Good $2.00, Fine $3.00
1844 Good $2.50, Fine $3.50
1845 Good $2.50, Fine $3.50
1846 Over 45 (first, cut too low) (This overdate is not recognized today) [no price listed]
1846 Good $2.00, Fine $3.50
1846-O Good $2.00, Fine $3.50
1847 Good $2.00; Fine $3.50
1848 Good $2.50, Fine $3.50
1849 Good $2.00, Fine $3.00
1850-O Good $2.75, Fine $4;00
1851 [no price listed]
1852 [no price listed]
1853 Good $3.00, Fine $4.50
1854 Good $5.00, Fine $10.00
1855 Good $3.75, Fine $6.00
1856 Good $3.00, Fine $4.50
1857 Good $3.00, Fine $4.00
1858 [no price listed]
1859 Unc. $2.75, Proof $3.50
1859-O Unc. $2.75
1859-S Unc. $2.75
1860 Unc. $2.50, Proof $3.00
1860-O Unc. $2.50
1861 Unc. $2.50, Proof $3.25
1862 Unc. $2.50, Proof $3.25
1863 Unc. $3.00, Proof $3.50
1864 Unc. $3.00, Proof $4.00
1865 Unc. $3.00, Proof $3.75
1866 (no motto) [no price listed]
1866 With motto. Unc. $2.75, Proof $3.00
1867 Unc. $2.75, Proof $3.00
1868 Unc. $2.75, Proof $3.00
1869 Unc. $2.50, Proof $3.00
1870 Unc. $2.50, Proof $3.00
1870-CC Unc. $2.50
1871 Unc. $2.50, Proof $3.00
1871-CC Unc. $2.50
1872 Unc. $2.50, Proof $3.00
1872-CC Unc. $2.50
1872-S Unc.$2.50
1873 Unc. $2.50, Proof $3.00
1873-CC Unc. $2.50
1873-S [sic] Unc. $2.50
Ed. Frossard's sale of the W.M. Friesner, Collection, June 7-8, 1894 (Frossard's 125th sale). The offering included the rare 1851, 1852, and 1858 Proofs and a notable 1872-CC.
1840 Minute nick on rev. edge. Unc. $2.40.
1841 Unc. $2.80.
1841 VG $1.10.
1842 Minute nick. Unc. $1.50. 1842 VG $1.10.
1843 Unc. $2.00.
1844 Unc. $3.00.
1845 EF $2.40.
1845 VG $1.45.
1846 Unc. $1.90.
1846 Good. $1.00.
1846-O EF; rare. $4.10.
1847 Unc. $1.75.
1848 Small. pin scratches 'in field. Unc. $2.00.
1848 VG $1.35.
1849 Sharp; Unc. $2.30.
1850 Br. Proof. Rare. $12.00.
1850-O Fine; rare. $1.75.
1850-O VF; rare. $3.40.
1851 Br. Proof. Extremely rare, $50.00.
1852 Br. Proof. Extremely rare. $50.00;
1853 Stars to right rounded; sharp; EF $4.00.
1851 Sharp, EF. Rare. $7.50.
1855 Br. Proof. Very rare. $15.00.
1856 Br. Proof. Very rare. $13.75.
1857 Br. Proof. Very rare. $11.50.
1857 VF; scarce. $2.45.
1858 Br. Proof. Extremely rare. $29.00.
1859 Br. Proof $1.40.