Q. David Bowers
Lester Merkin's sale of September 18-19, 1968. Offered were silver dollars from the Ostheimer Collection. The Liberty Seated dollars are complete and include the 1851, 1852, 1858, the classic 1870-S rarity, and the Carson City issues.
1840 Brilliant Uncirculated, prooflike, cleaned, some bagmarks. Well enough struck to have deceived one former owner into labeling it "Proof." $145.00.
1841 Deeply toned bagmarked Uncirculated, somewhat prootlike. $250.00.
1842 Rainbow toned gem Unc., prooflike, a couple of minor field bagmarks shy of superb. Very rare quality; nice enough to have been marked "Proof' by a former owner. $250.00.
1843 Recut 4. Golden toned prooflike Uncirculated. Struck from clashed dies retaining much prooflike polish. Tiny spot next to shield arm, infinitesimal handling marks. $210.00.
1844 Deeply toned Uncirculated, lightly bagmarked. $180.00.
1845 Rainbow toned gem Proof, minute spot near 6th star and small obverse field nick shy of superb. $725.00.
1846 Sunset toned gem Uncirculated, one bagmark above eagle's head otherwise approaching superb. Splendid sharp strike. $230.00..
1846-O Pale steel, blue, lilac and lavender toned Uncirculated. Beautifully frost; a few bagmarks away from superb, one on lower obverse rim. $260..00.
1847 Faintly cracked through legends. Warmly toned frosty choice Uncirculated, a few bagmarks short of gem levels. $215.00..
1848 Brilliant, delicately toned Proof, light signs of contact with other coins, faint scratch near final A. Tiny rim planchet defect below 4. $825.00.
1849 Uncirculated, cleaned long ago, now retoned to dusky hues. $130.00.
1850 Golden and blue toned Uncirculated, lightly bagmarked. $310.00.
1850-O Richly toned choice Uncirculated, trivial bagmarks. $280.00.
1851 Centered date, sunset toned Choice Proof. Several tiny spots, most noticeably right of date and hair. $1,600.00.
1852 Original obverse .. Golden toned gem proof, blue and purple at borders; almost perfect strike. $2,275.00.
1853 Lightly, iridescently toned Proof, cooler colors mostly on reverse. Upper edge of eagle's wing not perfectly struck up, as on the Case-Empire coin. Flan striations, faint hairlines, Partial knife-rim. $1,750.00.
1854 Deeply toned choice Proof, faint obverse finger mark. $900.00.
1855 Pale gold and paler mauve toned choice Proof. Minute lint mark on breast, no impairments, no evidence of cleaning; pristine, $925.00.
1856 Warmly toned choice Proof, like the 1855 but deeper. A few faint hairlines, but really beautiful. $700.00..
1857 Stunning golden, purple and electric blue Proof, exceptionally splendid gem, almost superb. $600.00..
1858 Pale rose, steel, blue and gunmetal toned Proof, slightly dull, with a single field nick and a few trivial slide marks. $1,250.00..
1859 Steel and blue toned choice Proof. Tiny lint marks from foreign matter adhering to obverse die, faint obverse hair marks, no impairment. Reverse very beautiful. $300.00..
1859-O AU, lightly bagmarkcd, cleaned long ago and now naturally toned golden with touches of blue iridescence at borders. $42.00.
1859-S Beautiful prooflike Uncirculated, early impression from dies retaining polish; only the most trivial of handling marks, unnoticeable and insignificant. Magnificently toned, mostly to sunset hues and blues. Excellent sharp strike. $525.00..
1860 Deeply, iridescently toned Proof, mostly sunset hues. Lint mark above eagle, not an impairment. Rims a little narrower than on some other Proofs. $180.00..
1860-O Delicately toned prooflike first strike, bolder than average impression; minor obverse rim nick, few reverse field bagmarks, otherwise a gem. $160.00.
1861 Golden and purple toned Proof, field nick on reverse. $200.00.
1862 Delicately toned gem Proof, mostly pale gold with some purplish modulations. One tiny hidden lint mark on either side, obverse next to shield arm, reverse in shield, not a defect but mentioned for identification. Beautiful and much rarer than commonly believed. $220.00.
1863 Golden and blue toned Proof, few faint hairlines. $240.00.
1864. Delicately toned Proof, obverse somewhat finger stained and showing a few slide marks on device. $220.00.. 1865 Delicately toned Proof, faint hairlines, microscopic signs of contact with other coins. Raised areas all unusually frosty as are letters. $200.00..
1866 New type, motto reverse. Deeply toned choice Proof. Microscopic handling marks. $240.00.
1867 Brilliant, somewhat hair marked Proof, lacquered. $210.00.
1868 Recut Date. Warmly toned Proof. Miniscule handling marks, otherwise really choice. $210.00.
1869 Richly, iridescently toned choice Proof. One minute reverse field nick. $230.00.
1870. Golden toned gem Proof, bluish near borders; pristine, uncleaned, unimpaired, one of the finest we've seen. $310.00.
1870-CC Choice Uncirculated, somewhat prooflike surface; iridescently toned to sunset hues. $775.00.
1870-S Centered date, shield point slightly left of upright of 1, "hair" below chin from unlapped area of die. Thin small S, its left side nearly lined up with end of feather; right end of ribbon indefinite except for sharp point. EF, some prooflike lustre, small edge test mark above 7th star, light field scratches mostly on obverse. $9,500.00.
1871 Sunset toned iridescent gem Proof, exceptionally beautiful. $285.00.
1871-CC Choice and lustrous EF-AU, irregularly toned pale gold and warm gray. Faintest touches of cabinet friction; exceptionally bold strike. $1,250.00.
1872 Golden toned gem Proof, patches of blue and purple at borders. $240.00.
1872-S AU. Faintest hint of cabinet friction on head; local areas of uneven striking; lustrous, with pale gray, gold, blue and purple toning mostly in patches. $160..0.0..
1872-CC Antique golden and pale purple toned Unc., prooflike, faintest field handling marks. Sharp strike from brightly polished dies. $1,200.00.
1873. Gunmetal toned gem Proof. $210.00.
1873-CC EF. Faint rough or porous streak, obviously a planchet defect, from rim to shield hand; a few minute handling marks, almost all on obverse. Extremely rare. $1,500.00.