Q. David Bowers
Superior Stamp & Coin Company's ANA Convention Sale, August 19-23, 1975. This offering, comprising as it did a set of Philadelphia Mint Proofs 1873-1883 plus most of the branch mint is-sues in varying degrees of Uncirculated grade, was one of the finest cabinets of trade dollars to cross the auction block. Such coins as the 1873-CC, 1876- CC, 1877-CC, and 1878-CC are especially memorable from today's hindsight.
1873 Choice brilliant Proof with light toning. Two very small lint marks below Liberty's arm and one tiny rim nick at 4:00 on the obverse, otherwise could be considered very choice. $725.00.
1873 Br. Unc. with some light bagmarks. $600.00.
1873-CC Br. Unc. with a few bagmarks and a couple of light nicks on the rim. $775.00.
1873-S Brilliant About Unc. with a faint film of light toning. Struck on a highly polished die. $225.00.
1874 Br. Proof with a few lint marks in the planchet as made. $875.00.
1874 Brilliant frosty Unc. Some very light bagmarks in the fields, far fewer than normal. $425.00.
1874-CC Toned about Unc. $300.00.
1874-S Br. Unc. with the normal amount of light bagmarks. A few light rim nicks, none serious. $285.00.
1875 Br. Proof with lovely rainbow toning. A few light hairlines mostly concealed by the toning, Some light obverse rim nicks. $650.00.
1875 Brilliant frosty Unc. with the normal amount of light bagmarks. $900.00.
1875-CC Br. Unc. and well struck. Normal amount oflight bagmarks. $600.00.
1875-S over CC Choice About Unc, with the normal amount of bag marks for this grade. A full Rarity-6. $1,000.00.
1875-S Brilliant frosty Unc, with the usual amount of light handling marks. Softly struck on Liberty's head and right foot of eagle. The mintmark is weakly struck. $260.00.
1876 Br. Proof with lovely iridescent blue toning. A few minor hairlines which are concealed by the toning. $1,250.00.
1876 Br. Unc. with some surface marks on both sides, probably caused by a rubber band. $310.00.
1876-CC Br. Unc. with light iridescent toning. $710.00.
1876-S Br. Unc. with the normal amount. of light bagmarks. $350.00.
1877 Br. Proof with some lint marks and hairlines, A few light marks in the obverse field. $675.00.
1877 Iridescently toned borderline Unc. A little too much cabinet friction to qualify as Mint State. $290.00.
1877-CC Unc, with several light marks on the rims of both sides. $625.od.
1877-S Small S. Br. Unc. and quite lustrous with normal amount of bag abrasions. $350.00.
1877-S Tall S. Borderline Unc. with prooflike surface. A few too many bagmarks and rim nicks to qualify as Mint State. $180.00.
1878 Iridescently toned Proof. $1,300.00.
1878-CC Choice brilliant frosty Unc. Very few bagmarks and rim nicks. $2,700.00.
1878-S Br. Unc. with a few light rim nicks and some light bagmarks. $350.00.
1879 Br. Proof with light toning. A few minute contact marks with other coins, otherwise could be considered choice. $700.00.
1880 Br. Proof with some lint marks as made. $1,125.00.
1880 Br. Proof with some light handling marks in the fields. $550.00.
1882 Br. Proof with a faint film of gray toned. $1,100.00.
1883 Br. Proof with a faint film of gray tone. $1,400.00.
The Fairfield Collection, sold by Bowers and Ruddy Galleries, Inc., October 6-8, 1977, included one or more of each trade dollar variety 1873-1883. The consignor believed that buying one coin was a good idea, owning two was even better, and to own three or more was better yet! No other sale before or since has had so many scarce trade dollars in duplicate, including two each of Mint State 1876-CC and 1878-CC. A Connecticut businessman with an eye for quality, he bought intensely from many dif-ferent sources in the 1970s. Upon its sale, the collec-tion-hoard created wide attention and realized strong prices.
1873 Choice Proof. $1,050.00.
1873 Gem Unc. $1,400.00.
1873 Unc. $200.00.
1873 AU. $120.00.
1873 AU, prooflike. $140.00.
1873-CC Choice BU. $1,000.00.
1873-S Choice BD. $1,250.00.
1873-S Choice BD. $750.00.
1874 Proof. $1,050.00.
1874 Choice BU. Mark on head. $1,100.00.
1874 Choice BD. $525.00.
1874 Choice BU, softly struck. $225.00.
1874-CC BD. $240.00.
1874-CC Choice Unc. $950.00.
1874-S AU, toning streaks. $100.00.
1874-S Choice BU. $575.00.
1875 Gem BD. $7,250.00.
1875 Choice BU. $1,200.00.
1875-CC Choice BU. $625.00.
1875-CC VF. $75.00.
1875-CC Choice BU. $750.00.
1875-S/CC BU with prooflike surfaces. $1,250.00.
1875-S/CC AU, small edge bump. $200.00.
1875-S Gem BU. $650.00.
1875-S AD. $105.00.
1875-S VF-EF. $70.00.
1875-S Choice BD. $525.00.
1876 Choice BU. Small nick. $325.00.
1876 AU, harshly cleaned. $135.00.
1876 Choice Proof. Lintmark. $1,050.00.
1876 Br. Proof; hairlines. $625.00.
1876 Gem BU. $850.00.
1876 Choice BD. $500.00.
1876 Choice BD. $625.00.
1876-CC Gem Unc. $1,650.00.
1876-CC Choice BU. $825.00.
1876-S Gem BD. $675.00.
1876-S AU. $100.00.
1876-S Gem BD. $1,200.00.
1877 Choice Br. Proof. $1,850.00.
1877 Choice BD. $600.00.
1877-CC Choice BD. $700.00.
1877-S Choice BD. $500.00.
1877-S Choice BU. $575.00.
1878 Choice Proof. $1,100.00.
1878 Br. Proof. $1,150.00.
1878-CC Choice Unc. $3,200.00.
1878-CC BD. $3,000.00.
1878-S BD. $360.00.
1878-S Borderline Unc., cleaned. $100.00.
1878-S Borderline Unc. $135.00.
1878-S AU, polished. $80.00.
1878-S EF-AU. $100.00.
1879 Br. Proof, hairlines. $625.00.
1879 Gem Br. Proof. $1,250.00.
1879 Gem Proof. $1,800.00.
1879 Gem Br. Proof. $1,400.00.
1879 Choice Br. Proof. $1,300.00.
1879 Choice Proof. $950.00.
1880 Br. Proof, many hairlines. $625.00.
1880 Proof, not in full brilliance. $575.00.
1880 Choice Br. Proof. $1,250.00.
1880 Choice Proof. $1,400.00.
1880 Choice Proof. $1,100.00.
1880 Br. Proof; hairlines. $725.00.
1881 Gem Proof. $1,500.00.
1881 Choice Br. Proof. $1,500.00.
1881 Choice Proof. $1,350.00.
1882 Gem Br. Proof. $1,750.00.
1882 Choice Br. Proof. $1,050.00.
1882 Br. Proof; light hairlines. $800.00.
1883 Choice Br. Proof. $1,100.00.
1883 Choice Proof. $1,200.00.
1883 Choice Br. Proof. $1,155.00.