Q. David Bowers
John Zug, of Bowie, Maryland, who had one of the largest stocks of any dealer in the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s, advertised inthe February 1921 issue of The Numismatist that he could supply each date of Proof trade dollar from 1873 to 1883 for $1.75 each.
B. Max Melh's sale of the Hon. James H. Man-ning Collection, May 17, 1921, was sprinkled with mintmarks. Mehl departed from tradition here and discussed mintmark positions for certain dates.
1873 Unc. $2.00.
1873-S Good. $1.25.
1874 Br. Proof. $1.75.
1874 Unc., but light scratches on obverse. $1.25.
1874-CC VG. $1.25.
1875 Perfect Br. Proof. $2.25.
1875 Another just as last. Br. Proof. $1.75.
1875-S VG. $1.00.
1875-CC Wide CC. VG. $1.10.
1876 Unc. $1.65.
1876 VF. $1.00.
1876-S Fine. $1.00.
1877 Br. Proof. $1.75.
1877 Unc, Frosty mint lustre. $1.00.
1877-S AU. $1.00.
1877-S VG. (Total: 3 pieces) $1.00.
1878-CC CC over and to right of D. Practically Unc, $2.60.
1878-S Bright semi-proof. $1.00.
1878-S EF. $1.00.
1879 Proof. $2.10.
1880 Sharp Br. Proof. $2.10.
1880 Br. Proof. (Total: 2 pieces) $1.75 each.
1880 Proofs. (Total: 2 pieces) $1.25 each.
John Zug offered these trade dollars in The Numismatist, September 1921:
1873 Proof. $2.00.
1874 Proof. $2.00.
1874-S Unc. $2.00.
1875 Proof. $2.00.
1875-CC Unc. $3.75.
1876 Proof. $2.00.
1877 Proof. $2.00.
1877-CC Fine. $4.50.
1877-S Unc. $2.00.
1878 Proof. $2.00.
1878-S Unc. $2.00.
1879 Proof. $2.00.
1880 Proof. $2.00.
1881 Proof. $2.00.
1882 Proof. $2.00.
1883 Proof. $2.00.
B. Max Mehl's sale of the Langfelder & Jaedicke Collections, November 22, 1921, included a little hoard of 1880 Proofs.
1873-CC EF. $1.10.
1874 Br. Proof. $1.75.
1874-CC Good, surface slightly rough. $l.50.
1875-CC About Fine. $l.6.
1876 Br. Proof, partly wire edge. $1.80.
1877 Purple Proof. $1.75.
1878 Br. Proof. $2.00.
1879 Br. Proof. $2.00.
1880 Proof. $2.10.
1880 Proof. (Total: 2 pieces) $l.00 each.
1880 Proof. (Total: 3 pieces). $l.00 each.
1882 Br. Proof. $1.75.
1883 Br. Proof. $1.75.
In the July 1923 issue of The Numismatist, Edward Flieder offered Proof trade dollars from 1874 through 1883 for $1.75 each. The first year of issue, 1873, was absent from the listing. As can be seen from advertisements and auction prices to this point, there was little or no differentiation in price among different dates of Proof trade dollars of the 1873-1883 era, although occasionally a specific date such as 1873 or 1878 would be singled out for attention.
B. Max Mehl's sale of the E.E. Wright Collection, March 10, 1925. In the catalogue, Mehl made ample use of the adjective "scarce":
1873 Proof. Scarce. $2.25.
1873-S Small S. Unc., frosty mint lustre. Scarce. $l.50.
1874 Proof, not in full brilliancy. Scarce date. $2.60.
1874-CC Wide CC. VG. Scarce. $1.50.
1875-CC Wide CC. Fine. Scarce. $l.50.
1876 AU. $l.60.
1877 Proof. $2.10.
1878 Proof. Scarce. $2.00.
1879 Br. Proof. $2.10.
1880 Proof, slightly purple surface. $l.90.
1881 Proof. $2.10.
1882 Br. Proof. $2.10.
1883 Proof, almost in full brilliancy. Scarce. $1.90.
B. Max Mehl's sale of the Mose Marcuson Collection, October 20, 1925, saw the highest realization go to a "box dollar" (1876 locket) of the type that was a popular souvenir at the World's Columbian Exposition.
1873 VF. $0.80.
1874 VF. $0.80.
1875-S Fine. $1.30.
1876 AU. $1.10.
1877-S Good. $0.75.
1877-S Fine. $1.00.
1878-S Good. $0.75.
1878-S Fine. $1.00.
1876 Made into a locket. Requires two coins to make. Good. $3.50.
1879 Proof. $1.75.
1880 Br. Proof. $1.75.
1881 Br. Proof. $2.10.
1882 Br. Proof. $2.00.
1883 EF, struck as Proof. $1.85.