Q. David Bowers
B. Max Mehl's sale of the William Cutler Atwater Collection, June 11, 1946, included a superb offering of trade dollars, absolutely complete by date and mint, indeed the finest ever auctioned up to this time. Replete with AU (Uncirculated with "cabinet friction") or better examples of the branch mints, and Proofs including the famous 1884 and 1885, the Atwater Collection remains is a landmark in trade dollar market history.
1873 Perfect Br. Proof with sharp wire edges. $15.00.
1873-CC Unc. with frosty mint surface. Just the barest touch of cabinet friction. $27.00.
1873-S Unc. with full mint lustre. $20.00.
1874 Br. Proof. $15.00.
1874-CC Br. Unc. with semi-proof surface. The field is slightly rubbed and has a small scratch to right of eagle on reverse. $20.00.
1874-S Unc. with full mint lustre. Just the very slightest trace of slight purple surface. $10.50.
1875 Br. Proof. Just barest hairline on obverse. $16.00.
1875-CC Unc. with full frosty mint surface. $13.50.
1875-S Unc. with frosty mint surface. Slight evidence of being handled with other coins. $10.
1876 Sharp Br. Proof. $12.50.
1876-CC Unc. with full mint lustre; slight Proof surface.$15.75.
1876-S VF. $3.50.
1877 Sharp Br. Proof. $12.80.
1877-CC Bright Unc. with frosty mint surface. $27.50.
1877-S Br. Proof. The field on obverse shows just the very slightest touch of cabinet friction. $15.
1878 Sharp Br. Proof. $15.50.
1878-CC Unc. with mint lustre. Just the very slightest touch of cabinet friction. $57.50.
1878-S Br. Unc. $8.40.
1879 Perfect Br. Proof, sharp. $12.50.
1880 Perfect Br. Proof. $11.50.
1881 Perfect Br. Proof. $13.75.
1882 Br. Proof, perfect. $13.25.
1883 Perfect Br. Proof. $15.00.
1884 Perfect Br. Proof. $800.00.
1885 Perfect brilliant gem Proof. $1,450.00.
In the January 1947 issue of The Numismatist, John Zug of Bowie, Maryland offered the following trade dollars for sale:
1873 Proof $17.50.
1874 Proof $20.00.
1876 Proof $15.00.
1877 Proof $17.50.
1877 Unc. $4.00.
1877 EF $2.50.
1877-S Unc. $3.50.
1877-S EF $2.50.
1878 Proof $17.50.
1878-S EF $2.50.
1879 Proof $15.00.
1800 Proof $15.00.
1881 Proof $17.50.
1882 Proof $17.50.
1883 Proof $20.00.
William Pukall of Union City, New Jersey offered trade dollars for sale in the February 1947 issue of The Numismatist. By 1947 he had been in business for over 30 years and had a wide following of mail order customers.
1873 EF $5.00.
1873-S AU. Very Rare $25.00.
1874-CC Unc, $35.00.
1875 Proof $19.00.
1875-S Unc. $15.00.
1875-CC EF $10.00.
1876 Proof $16.50.
1876 EF $4.75:
1876-S Unc. $6.50.
1876-S EF $5.00.
1877 Proof $16.50.
1877-S Unc, $6.50.
1877-S EF $5.00.
1878-S Unc, $5.00.
1878-S EF $4.00.
1878-S VF $3.25.
1879 Proof $15.00.
1882 Proof $15.00.
1883 Proof $20.00.
B. Max Mehl's sale of the Will W. Neil Collection, June 17, 1947, included a set of trade dollars by date and mint complete through the rare 1884. The grades of the branch mints did not measure up to the Atwater coins sold the year before, but nonetheless the Neil cabinet was one of the finest of its era.
1873 Br. Proof, one hairline. (Today in the 1990s, one wonders if this "one hairline" was in fact a raised die line on the reverse (see description of 1873 Proof reverse dies in the 1873 section below).$12.50.
1873-CC VF. $11.50.
1873-S Unc. $21.50.
1874 Bt. Proof. $15.00.
1874-CC AU. $3.15.
1874-S Unc. $11.00.
1875 Br. Proof. $15.25.
1875-CC AU. $5.35.
1875-S Unc. $10.15.
1876 Br. Proof'. $14.50.
1876-CC Unc., handling marks. $14.50.
1876-S AU. $6.30.
1877 Br. Proof. $13.00.
1877-CC EF. $3.15.
1877-S Unc. $2.25.
1878 Br. Proof; hairlined. $14.00.
1878-CC Fine. $22.50.
1878-S Unc, $5.25.
1879 Br. Proof. $13.25.
1880 Br. Proof. $15.00.
1881 Br. Proof. $14.25.
1882 Br. Proof. Tiny spot on obverse. $13.25.
1883 Br. Proof. $15.00.
1884 Perfect Br. Proof. $551.00.