Q. David Bowers
Another insidious practice was to advertise silver dollars for sale whether or not they were in stock, with the hope that once orders were received they could be filled by contacting other dealers to acquire a supply, Lee F. Hewitt, publisher of The Numismatic Scrapbook Magazine, once told me that this and grading were the two biggest problems he had with his dealer advertisers.
Relevant to the Johnson listing below, I would bet a deluxe hardbound copy of this book that such entries as the 1895-O and 1901 "Uncirculated" coins were AU sliders at best.
Notice that in this and virtually all other contemporary advertisements, nothing is said about sharpness of strike, quality of lustre, etc. A great deal of hoopla was being generated in the silver dollar market. P.T, Barnum, whom Walter H. Breen once characterized as the patron saint of coin collectors, would have been right at home.
Amidst all of this, virtually no serious research or study was being done. This would await the era of the 1960s, when such individuals as Wayne Miller, A. George Mallis, Leroy C. Van Allen, and Walter H. Breen, to name just a few specialists, would begin to study the series intently.
The 1878 with 7 over 8 tail feathers dollars were just beginning to be known among collectors, and from about this point onward, many advertisements included them.
1878 8 TF. Unc. $3.50, Select Unc. $4.50, Gem Unc. $5.50.
1878 7 over 8 TF. Unc. $14.50, Select Unc. $17.25, Gem Unc. $20.00.
1878 7 TF. Unc. $2.00, Select Unc. $2.50, Gem Unc. $3.00.
1878-CC AU $2.00, Unc. $2.50, Select Unc. $3.25,. Gem Unc. $4.00.
1878-S Unc. $2.00, Seleet Unc. $2.50, Gem Unc. $3.00.
1879 AU $1.70, Unc. $2.00, Select Unc. $2.50, Gem Unc. $3.00.
1879-CC F $2.50, VF $3.50, EF $5.00, AU $5.50, Unc. $6.50, Select Unc. $10.50.
1879-O F $2.00, VF $2.50, EF $3.00, AU $6.00, Unc. $12.50.
1879-S AU $1. 75, Unc. $2.25, Select Unc. $2.75, Gem Unc. $3.50.
1880 AU $1.70, Unc. $2.00, Select Unc. $2.50, Gem Unc.
1880-CC F $5.00, VF $7.50.
1880-O VF $2.00, EF $2.50, AU $4.50, Unc. $9.00, Select Unc. $12.50, Gem Unc. $15.00.
1880-S AU $1. 70, Unc. $2.00, Select Unc. $2.50, Gem Unc. $3.00.
1881 AU $1.75, UnC. $2.25, Select Unto $2.75.
1881-CC VF $8.50, EF $12.50, AU $17.50, Unc. $24.50, Select Unc. $29.75, Gem Unc. $34.50.
1881-O F $2.00, VF $2.50, EF $3.00, AU $4.00, Unc. $5.00, Select Unc. $6.75, Gem Unc. $8.50.
1881-S AU $1.75, Unc. $2.25, Select Unc. $2.75, Gem Unc. $3.50.
1882 AU $1.75, Unc. $2.25, Select Unc. $2.75.
1882-CC F $2.50, VF $3.50, EF $4.50, AV $5.00, Unc. $6.00, Select Unc, $8.50, Gem Unc, $12.50.
1882-O VF $2.00, EF $3.00, AU $5.00, Unc, $7.50.
1882-S AU $1.75, Unc. $2.00, Select Unc. $2.50.
1883 AU $1.75, Unc, $2.00, Select Unc. $2.50.
1883-CC F $2.50, VF $3.00, EF $4.00, Unc. $5.95, Select Unc. $7.50, Gem Unc. $10.00.
1883-O AU $2.50, Unc. $3.00, Select Unc. $4.00.
1883-S AU $2.50, Unc. $3.00, Select Unc. $4.00.
1884 VF $1.75, EF $2.00, AU $2.25, Unc. $2.50, Select Unc. $3.00, Gem Unc. $3.50
1884-CC AU $3.50, Unc. $4.50, Select Unc, $5.50, Gem Unc. $6.50.
1884-O VF $2.00, EF $2.50, AU $3.00, Unc. $4.00, Select Unc, $5.00, Gem Unc. $6.00.
1884-S VF $2.25, EF $3.25, AV $4.25.
1885 VF $1.75, EF $2.00, AV $2.25, Unc. $2.50, Select Unc. $3.00, Gem Unc. $3.50.
1885-CC Unc. $12.00, Select Unc. $15.75, Gem Unc. $17.75.
1885-O VF $2.00, EF $2.50, AU $3.00, Unc. $4.00, Select Unc. $5.00, Gem Unc, $6.00.
1885-S F $1.75, VF $2.00, AU $2.25, Unc. $2.50.
1886 VF $2.00, EF $2.25, AU $2.50, Unc, $3.00, Select Unc. $4.00, Gem Unc. $5.00.
1886-O VF $2.00, EF $3.00, AU $4.00, Unc. $8.50.
1886-S Unc. $2.50, Select Unc. $3.50, Gem Unc. $4.50.
1887 F $1.75, VF $2.00, EF $2.25, AU $2.50, Unc, $3.50, Select Unc. $4.50, Gem Unc. $5.50.
1887-O F $2.00, VF $2.50, EF $3.00, AU $3.50, Unc. $5.95, Select Unc. $7.50.
1887-S AU $2.00, Unc. $2.50, Select Unc. $3.00, Gem Unc. $3.50.
1888 F $1.75, VF $2.00, EF $2.25, AU $2.50, Unc. $3.50, Select Unc. $4.50, Gem Unc. $5.50.
1888-O VF $2.00, EF $3.00, Unc. $5.25.
1888-S Unc. $2.50, Select Unc. $3.50, Gem Unc. $4.50.
1889 F $1.50, VF $1.75, EF $2.00, AU $2.25, Unc. $2.50, Select Unc. $3.25, Gem Unc. $4.00.
1889-CC VF $4.50, EF $6.00, AU $8.50.
1889-O F $2.00, VF $2.25, EF $2.50, AU $2.75, Unc. $4.75.
1889-S AU $2.00, Unc. $2.50, Select Unc. $3.00, Gem Unc. $3.50.
1890 F $1.50, VF $1.75, EF $2.00, AU $2.25, Unc. $2.50, Select Unc. $3.25, Gem Unc. $4.00.
1890-CC AU $2.00, Unc. $2.50, Select Unc. $3.00, Gem Unc. $3.50.
1890-O EF $2.00, AU $2.50, Unc. $3.25.
1890-S AU $1.75, Unc. $2.00, Select Unc. $2.50, Gem Unc, $3.00.
1891 F $1.50, VF $1.75, EF $2.00, AU $2.25, Unc. $2.50, Select Unc. $3.25, Gem Unc. $4.00.
1891-CC AU $2.00, Unc. $2.50, Select Unc. $3.00, Gem Unc. $3.50.
1891-O VF $2.00, EF $3.00, AU $4.00, Unc. $6.00, Select Unc. $10.00.
1891-S AU $1.75, Unc. $2.00, Select Unc. $2.50, Gem Unc. $3.00.
1892 EF $3.00, AU $4.00, Unc. $7.50.
1892-CC Unc. $5.00, Select Unc. $7.50.
1892-O VF $2.50, EF $3.00, AU $3.50.
1892-S F $2.00, VF $4.00, EF $8.00.
1893 VF $2.50, EF $3.50, AU $4.50, Unc. $5.75, Select Unc. $7.50.
1893-CC VG $2.00, F $3.00, VF $4.50, EF $6.00.
1893-O VF $3.50, EF $5.00, AU $7.50, Unc. $12.75.
1893-S VG $8.50, F $15.00, VF $25.00.
1894 VF $3.50, EF $5.00.
1894-O F $2.00, VF $2.50, EF $3.00, AU $3.50, Unc. $7.00.
1894-S Unc. $2.50, Select Unc. $3.00, Gem Unc. $3.50.
1895-O VF $3.50, EF $5.00, AU $7.50, Unc, $12.75.
1895-S Unc. $20.00, Select Unc. $22.50, Gem Unc. $25.00.
1896 F $2.00, VF $2.50, EF $3.50, AU $4.50.
1896-O F $2.00, EF $3.50, AU $4.50, Unc. $9.00.
1897 VF $5.00.
1897-O EF $2.50, AU $3.00, Unc. $7.00, Select Unc. $10.00.
1897-S AU $2.00, Unc, $2.50, Select Unc. $3.25, Gem Unc. $4.00.
1898 AU $2.00, Unc. $2.50, Select Unc. $3.25, Gem Unc. $4.00.
1898-O EF $3.50, AU $4.50, Unc. $7.50.
1898-S AU $2.00, Vnc. $2.50, Select Unc. $3.25, Gem Unc. $4.00.
1899 VF $5.00.
1899-O EF $2.50, AU $3.00, Vuc. $6.00, Select Unc. $8.00.
1899-S VF $2.00, EF $2.25, AU $2.50, Unc. $3.50, Select Unc. $4.50, Gem Unc. $5.50.
1900 VF $1.75, EF $2.00, AU $2.25, Unc. $2.50, Select Unc. $3.00, Gem Unc, $3.50.
1900-O EF $2.00, AU $2.25, Vnc. $2.75, Select Unc. $3.75.
1900-S VF $1.75, EF $2.00, AU $2.25, Unc. $2.50, Select Unc. $3.00, Gem Unc. $3.50.
1901 EF $2.50, AU $3.50, Unc. $6.00.
1901-O AU $2.50, Unc. $5.00.
1901-S EF $2.00, Unc. $2.50, Select Unc. $3.50, Gem Unc. $5.00.
1902 EF $2.50, AU $3.50, Unc. $6.00. 1902-O F $2.00, VF $2.50, EF $4.50.
1902-S EF $2.00, Unc. $2.50, Select Unc. $3.50, Gem Unc. $5.00.
1903-O VG $12.50, F $15.00.
1903-S VG $2.50, F $4.50, VF $7.50, EF $10.00, AU $20.00, Unc. $22.25, Select Unc. $27.50, Gem Unc. $34.50.