Q. David Bowers
Ed. Frossard's sale of the W.M. Friesner Collection, June 7-8, 1894 (Frossard's 125th sale). Offered was a run of Proofs from 1873 through 1883, plus a few mintmark issues, none of the latter being of special consequence.
1873 Br. Proof. $1.05.
1873-CC Fine; scarce. $4.60.
1874 Br. Proof. $1.10.
1875 Br. Proof. $1.05.
1875-CC Fine. $3.00.
1875-S Fine. $1.75.
1875-S Duplicate. $1.00.
1876 EF. $1.80.
1876 Br. Proof. $1.05.
1877 Br. Proof. $1.00.
1877 Uncirculated. $1.10.
1878 Br. Proof. $1.00.
1878 Uncirculated [sic]. $1.10.
1878, 1879, 1880. Trade dollars. Proofs. (Total: 3 pieces). $0.85 each.
1879 Br. Proof. $1.05.
1880 Br. Proof. $1.05.
1881 Br. Proof. $1.20.
1882 Br. Proof. $1.50.
1883 Br. Proof. $1.20.
Ed. Frossard's sale of the John F. Bateman Collection, December 16-17, 1897. The auction contained a selection of trade dollars, especially Proofs of the later dates.
1873 Fine. $0.80.
1874 VF. $1.30.
1875 Proof, slightly tarnished on reverse. $1.45.
1876-S Fine. $1.00.
1877 EF. $1.00.
1878 Br. Proof. $1.50.
1879 Br. Proof. $1.45.
1880 Br. Proof. $1.20.
1881 Br. Proof. $1.00.
1882 Br. Proof. $1.00.
1883 Br. Proof. $1.10.
Ed. Frossard's sale of the New Jersey Collection, March 8, 1898, included a group of trade dollars from various mints. The owner must have been a disciple of Augustus G. Heaton. The true rarity of Uncirculated branch mint trade dollars is evident here: nearly all are worn. This catalogue illustrates well the predicament of today's researcher in studying nineteenth century data. A Proof 1877 brought 80¢ as "did a Proof 1878, but a much more common Proof 1879 fetched $1.55.
1873 Br. Proof. $2.00.
1873-CC Fine; nick. $1.00.
1873-S Fine; spotted. $0.85.
1874 Fine Proof. $0.85.
1874-CC VF. $1.25.
1875 Fine Proof. $1.40.
1875-CC VF. $1.45.
1875-S VF. $1.55.
1876-CC Fine, but spotted, especially on reverse. $1.10.
1876-S Unc. $0.90.
1877 Br. Proof. $0.80.
1877-CC Fine. $2.40.
1877-S Large S. EF. $0.70.
1877-S Large S more directly over D than last; small s. Fine (2 pieces). $0.60 each.
1878 Br. Proof. $0.80.
1878-CC Fine; spotted on reverse. Rare. $1.25.
1878-S Unc. $0.55.
1879 Br. Proof. $1.55.
1880 Br. Proof. $1.55.
1881 Br. Proof. $1.55.
1882 Br. Proof. $1.05.
1883 Br. Proof. $0.85.
George H. Burfeind, in The Numismatist, March 1902, offered two trade dollars for sale. At the time Burfeind's main business was selling custom-minted tokens and store cards to collectors and dealers, who used them for souvenirs and advertising.
1876-5 EF. $0.75.
1879 Proof. $1.20.
Charles Steigerwalt's fixed price list of April 1904 included these trade dollars. No branch mint issues were included.
1873 Unc. $1.75.
1875 Br. Proof. $2.00.
1876 Br. Proof. $1.50.
1878 Br. Proof. $1.50.
1880 Br. Proof. $1.25.
1882 Br. Proof. $1.75.
S.H. and Henry Chapman's sale of the Ralph Barker Collection, July 7-8, 1904, contained most ofthe Philadelphia Mint Proofs, although the 1873 was notably absent, and the 1878 (in reality, it was probably an 1878-S) was damaged. At the time, collectors were not aware of the existence of the rare 1884 and1885 issues.
1874 Proof. Hair marked. Weakly struck in center. $1.00.
1875 Proof. $1.00.
1876 Proof. Light nicks in field. $0.80.
1877 Proof. Slight hair marks. $0.80.
1877-5 VF. $0.80.
1878 VF. Abraded in field. $0.85.
1879 Proof. $0.90.
1880 Br. Proof. $1.50.
1881 Proof. $2.10.
1882 Br. Proof. $2.10.
1883 Br. Proof. $1.40.
Lyman H. Low's sale of the H.G. Brown Collection, Part I, October 11, 1904. H.G. Brown's early silver dollars-discussed earlier in the book-were mostly mediocre, and following suit, his Proof trade dollars, offered here, apparently were impaired (colloquially, "a little less than perfect"). A connoisseur Brown was not.
1873 EF. $0.80.
1874 Proof, a little less than perfect, which may be here noted as the condition of those that follow. $0.80.
1875 Proof. $0.85.
1876 Proof. $0.85.
1877 Proof. $0.78.
1878 Proof. $0.75.
1879 Proof. $0.65.
1880 Proof. $0.65.
1881 Proof. $1.25.
1882 Proof. $1.20.
1883 Proof. $1.20.
1883 Proof. $0.85.
1877-S Unc., some light nicks. $0.55.
1877-S Good. $0.55.
1877-S An ingeniously constructed counter, probably to keep game with, made out of two dollars; Numbers 1 to 7 revolving. $1.75.