Q. David Bowers
In the June 1944 issue of The Numismatist, the Celina Coin Company, Celina, Ohio, offered the following trade dollars for sale. These were acquired from the Virgil Brand estate via St. Louis dealer B.C. Johnson, and included the famous 1884 and 1885 rarities.
1873 Proof. $12.00.
1874 Proof. $10.00.
1875 Proof. $11.00.
1876 Proof. $8.50.
1877 Proof. $10.00.
1878 Proof. $9.00.
1879 Proof. $7.50.
1880 Proof. $7.50.
1881 Proof. $7.50.
1882 Proof. $7.50.
1883 Proof. $10.00.
1884 Very rare. $400.00.
1885 Excessively rare. $1,000.00.
The "World's Greatest Collection" (F.C.C. Boyd Collection) sold by Numismatic Gallery, May 11-12, 1945, included a nearly complete set of trade dollar varieties 1873-1883, lacking just the 1878"CC. Why Boyd, who could have afforded them, did not have the 1884 and 1885 rarities is not known.
Frederick C.C. Boyd was the first prominent numi natist to collect business strikes of the same dates for which he also had Proofs, recognizing that Uncirculated and Proof coins represent different finishes and, thus, two collecting opportunities. Unfortunately for posterity, the catalogue descriptions are completely bereft of numismatic research information. How interesting it would be to know how long it took Boyd to find Uncirculated examples of the 1873 Philadelphia Mint trade dollar or the 1875.
As most of the mintmark issues are just in average condition arid probably were acquired without much effort, one cap conjecture that Boyd first collected the Philadelphia Mint coins in Proof, then added Uncirculated Philadelphia coins (which must have required much time to find), and then as an afterthought added the mintmarks, by which time he concluded to stop expending much energy on the series. However, Boyd did own many high-grade mintmarks at one time, and offered them for sale (see February 1935 advertisement from The Numismatist quoted earlier). Presumably, this was before he desired them as part of his own collection.
1873 Br. Proof. $13.00.
1873 Unc. $4.50.
1873-CC EF. $11.50.
1873-S VG. $2.50.
1874 Beautiful steel-blue Proof. $13.00.
1874 Unc. $4.50.
1874-CC Unc. $19.00.
1874-S About EF. $6.50.
1875 Br. Proof. $15.00.
1875 Unc. $4.50.
1875-CC Unc. $13.00.
1875-CC Fine. $3.00.
1875-S Unc. $15.00.
1876 Br. Proof. $9.00.
1876 Unc. $4.00.
1876-CC About EF. $4.50.
1876-CC VF. $4.25.
1876-S Unc. $4.00.
1877 Br. Proof, turning purple. $10.00.
1877 Unc. $4.00.
1877-CC Fine. $3.00.
1877-S Unc. Steel blue. $3.50.
1878 Br. Proof. $13.00.
1878-S Unc. $3.50.
1879 Br. Proof, turning steel blue. $10.00.
1880 Br. Proof. $10.00.
1881 Br. Proof. $10.00.
1882 Br. Proof. Purple. $10.00.
1883 Br. Proof. Purple. $13.00.
The August 1945 issue of The Numismatist, printed the following advertisement for trade dollars by John Zug. Included are notable specimens of the 1873-CC and 1876-CC.
1873 VF $4.50, Proof $15.00.
1873-CC Unc. $17.50.
1874 Proof $15.00.
1874-CC Unc. $17.50.
1875 Proof $15.00.
1875-CC VF $10.00.
1876 VF $2.50, Unc. $5.00, Proof $12.50.
1876-CC Unc. $10.00.
1876-S VF. $2.50.
1877 VF $2.50, Unc. $3.50, Proof $12.50.
1877-S VF $2.50, Unc. $3.50.
1878 Proof. $12.50.
1878-S VF $2.50, Unc. $3.50.
1879 Proof $10.00.
1880 Proof $10.00.
1881 Proof $10.00.
1882 Proof $10.00.
1883 Proof $17.50.