Q. David Bowers
1876 Type II reverse. A Brilliant Proof with a wire rim. $1,250.00.
1876 Type I reverse. Die with broken topped E's and F's. Frosty Unc. Rare. $800.00.
1876 Type II reverse. Prooflike AU-Unc., some bagrnarks. $375.00.
1876 Type II reverse. Vl" with one light obverse chop mark. $80.00.
1876-CC Type I reverse. Large CC mintmark. Reverse die with broken topped E's and F's. AU/Choice Unc. with some obverse bagmarks. $610.00.
1876-CC Type I reverse Micro CC mintmark. Toned EF, reverse bagmarks. $275.00.
1876-CC Type II reverse. Large CC mintmark. Brilliant EF with one obverse chopmark in relief. $185.00.
1876-S Type I reverse. Large S mintmark. Unc. Rare variety. $900.00.
1876-S Type II reverse. Micro S mintmark. Toned Unc., head a bit flat. $775.00.
1876-S Type II reverse. Die break on upper left wing and radial crack by F of OF. Micro S mintmark AU/Unc. $400.00.
1876-S Type I reverse. Micro S mintmark. EF with one chopmark on each side. Rare variety. $200.00.
1876-S Type I reverse. Large S mintmark. EF-AU. Rare variety. $500.00.
1877 A lovely Proof with a few obverse hairlines. 510 Proofs reported struck though Breen states that "the 1877 trade is amuch rarer coin in Proof state than its mintage suggests." $3,000.00.
1877 Unc. with a few obverse bagmarks. The obverse is fully prooflike and may be a Proof die put into business strike service. The reverse is frosty. $700.00.
1877 Frosty AU-Unc. but flat head and stars as is typical of this date. The reverse die has a circumferential die break. A ding between TRADE and DOLLAR. $450.00.
1877 Fine with many obverse chopmarks. $70.00.
1877-CC Frosty Unc. with a few bagrnarks. The stars are strong but the head is a bit flat. $1,300.00.
1877-CC Frosty AU with a single reverse chopmark on the eagle. $250.00.
1877-S Large S mintmark upright over D of DOLLAR, Unc., rather prooflike, but many bagmarks. $325.00.
1877-S Large S mintmark upright over D. AU with a couple of light chopmarks. $50.00.
1877-S Large S mintmark at a slant between TRADE and DOLLAR. AU with a single chopmark on the eagle's breast. $135.00.
1877-S Micro S mintmark. VF with many chopmarks. $60.00.
1878 A lovely Proof with a bit of a wire rim. A Proof only issue of 900 pieces though Breen states "Rarer than the mintage suggests; many may have been melted in 1879." $4,000.00.
1878-CC Unc., rather prooflike but head a bit flat. A number of bagmarks. Mintage of only 97,000 of which close to 40,000 were melted in the last century. $2,000.00.
1878-CC VF-EF with a single obverse chopmark and a reverse stain. $300.00.
1878-S Unc. The 4 in 420 has not tail. $450.00.
1878-S A nice Unc. with a few bagmarks. The head is a trifle flat. The variety with 420 GRAINS double punched. $600.00.
1878-S 420 GRAINS appears normal. EF, one obverse chopmark. $137.50.
1879 A lovely Proof with a reverse tarnish streak. A Proof only issue of 1,541 pieces. $2,300.00.
1880 A handsome lightly toned Proof. Top of 1 below G. A Proof only issue of 1,987 pieces. $2,500.00.
1881 A lovely blue toned Proof. The stars are well struck up; the head is only a shade flat, unlike most of this date. A Proof only issue of 960 pieces. $6,300.00.
1882 A lovely Proof with light toning around the devices. A Proof only issue of 1,097 pieces. $4,250.00.
1883 A handsome Proof with light golden toning. A Proof only issue of 979 pieces. The last genuine year for trade dollars. $5,500.00.
1878 The so-called "Opium Dollar." 1878 obverse muled with Type I reverse. The whole hollowed out and hinged, ostensibly for the purpose of concealing opium, though how an opium dreamer could open the piece himself rather eludes us. $225.00.
1877-CC Gold plated, with a reverse chopmark. About EF. $175.00.
Stack's sale of the Amon Carter, Jr. Family Collection, January 18-21, 1984, is remembered today for its completeness, and is one of the few cabinets to include both an 1884 and 1885. Nearly all of these coins were acquired by Amon G. Carter, Sr., Fort Worth, Texas newspaperman and investor, in the 1940s, who liked dollars and trade dollars more than any other American series.
Although the market was far from a peak in 1984, the chance to bid on scarce and rare coins from such an important collection brought many collectors and investors to the fore, and prices were very strong.
1873 Br. Proof, light hairlines. Russet and iridescent toning. $1,540.00.
1873-CC Fully EF with mint lustre. Scarce. $418.00.
1873-S About Unc., numerous small bagmarks in the field. $577.50.
1874 Choice Br. Proof, splendid peripheral toning. $3,080.00.
1874-CC Gem Br. Unc. Exquisite satiny and frosty surfaces. Pristine. It is inconceivable that a better example exists. $10,450.00.
1874-S Br. Unc., frosty lustre. A better than average strike. $1,430.00.
1875 Br. Proof. A lovely example with purple and russet toning. $2,970.00.
1875-CC Gem Br. Unc. Sharply struck, with full lustre. Really as it left the mint but for light peripheral toning. $10,175.00
1875-S Gem Br. Unc. A pristine example with exquisite satiny surfaces. $12,650.00.
1876 Br. Proof, light hairlines but quite nice. $2,860.00.
1876-CC About Unc, and choice. $660.00.
1876-S Choice Br. Unc, A gem but for some light planchet adjustment marks on the head. $2,310.00.
1877 Br. Proof, faint hairlines, two tone appearance. Very scarce. $3,520.00.
1877-CC EF. Lustrous and really scarce. $440.00.
1877-S Br. Unc. and virtually in the choice category. $1,265.00.
1878 Choice Br. Proof. A two-tone beauty with toning about the edges. Very scarce. $6,600.00.
1878-CC EF and an exceptionally sharp strike. A choice example with claims to a higher grade. Rare. $1,100.00.
1878-S Br. Unc., satiny and slightly prooflike. Golden toning. $467.50.
1879 Br. Proof. Light cloudy toning. $1,540.00.
1880 Br. Proof. Hairlines but two-tone and rather nice, with its golden and iridescent toning. $1,650.00.
1881 Choice Br. Proof. A sensational example. $7,150.00. 1882 Choice Br. Proof. A twin to the preceding lot. $7,425.00.
1883 Choice Br. Proof. A glittering two-tone specimen. $6,050.00.
1884 Choice Br. Proof, iridescent toning about its periphery. From all available records and information, it is generally accepted that only TEN specimens were struck. This date as well as the 1885 were discovered in Proof sets bya Philadelphia dealer about the turn of the century. We have been privileged to sell this rarity 10 times, and these sales involved only about four different examples. A great opportunity, made even greater by the appearance of the next lot, the exceptionally rare 1885 trade dollar. More than likely from the Jack Roe Collection, June 1945, B. Max Mehl, Lot 627. $45,100.00.
1885 Choice Br. Proof, light hairlines. From all available records and information, it is generally accepted that only FIVE specimens were struck .. When one considers the fact that this date appeared for sale only about six times in the past half century or so, can it be. understood that this coin compares favorably with any great rarity in American numismatics. Stack's has had the pleasure of selling some of the foremost collections in America and we are quite accustomed to rarities. However, this is only the third time we have been privileged to offer an 1885 trade dollar in our 50 years of selling at public auction (we also sold one privately, the John H. Clapp coin to Louis Eliasberg, Sr.). We are distinctly pleased to offer this classic rarity to the collecting fraternity. More than likely from the Jack Roe Collection, Lot 628. $110,000.00.