Silver Dollars & Trade Dollars of the United States - A Complete Encyclopedia
Q. David Bowers
Varieties (Many of the die descriptions are from Walter H. Breen and, in many instances are adapted from Walter Breen '5 Encyclopedia of u.s. and Colonial Proof Coins, 1722-1989, reprint edition by Bowers and Merena Galleries, Inc., 1989, and fro~ Walter Breen's Complete Encyclopedia of U.S.and Colonial Coins, Doubleday, 1988. Other comments and die descriptions are by Q. David Bowers.)
Business strikes:
1-3. Normal Date: Breen-5425. At least three obverse dies were used to make business strikes. The details of these have not been delineated in numismatic literature. The reverse of the American Numismatic Society specimen has a die crack from the rim to the right edge of L in DOL. to the bottom arrowhead.
Proofs:
1. Proof issue. Obverse: All from one obverse die; the date about centered, shield point about over left upright, left base of lover space. Reverse: There are two defects, joined and appearing as projections, extending from the center of the right side of the final A in AMERICA. In the shield, each of the three elements in the seven vertical shield stripes extends through the horizontal line above, the only exception being the rightmost element of the fourth vertical stripe; the rightmost element of the first stripe extends farthest upward of any element and is the only element to touch the third horizontal stripe above. This die was used on other dollars 1840-1850 and is referred to in the present text as the Reverse of 1840-1850.
Walter H. Breen suggests that restrikes were made from the above die pair, with the reverse showing resurfacing (lapping).
1840 Liberty Seated: Summary of Characteristics
Business Strikes:
Enabling legislation: Act of January 18, 1837 Designer of obverse: Robert Ball Hughes (after Gobrecht)
Designer of reverse: Robert Ball Hughes (after Reich)
Weight and composition: 412.5 grains; .900 silver, .100 copper
Melt-down (silver value) in year minted: $1.0231 Dies prepared: Obverse: Unknown; Reverse: Unknown
Business strike mintage: 61,005; Delivery figures by day: July 31: 12,500; November 30: 41,000; December 31: 7,505.
Estimated quantity melted: Unknown
Approximate population MS-65 or better: 0 or 1 (URS-O)
Approximate population MS-64: 2 to 4 (URS-2)
Approximate population MS-63: 8 to 12 (URS-4)
Approximate population MS-60 to 62: 15 to 25 (URS-5)
Approximate population VF-20 to AU-58: 1,200 to 1,800 (URS-12)
Characteristics of striking: Usually quite well struck with sharp stars and prominent, broad rims.
Known hoards of Mint State coins: None
Proofs:
Dies prepared: Obverse: 1; Reverse: 1. Proof mintage: 20-30 estimated
Approximate population Proof-64 or better: 2 to 4 known (URS-2)
Approximate population Proof-60 to 63: 5 to 10 known (URS-4)
Commentary
This, the first year of the Liberty Seated dollar, was not saved in quantity at the time of issue. Mint State coins are very rare.