|
Sale 74
|
|
press UP arrow key to increase the zoom ratio.
press DOWN arrow key to decrease the zoom ratio.
press RIGHT arrow key to increase the zoom window size.
press LEFT arrow key to decrease the zoom window size.
|
|
Lot 2890
1869 Liberty Seated Dollar. PCGS graded Proof 65+ DCAM. Only 600 Proofs struck. A wonderful well struck white coin. The Proof 1869 Seated Dollar was struck to the extent of 600 specimens -- a mintage figure that is comparable to that of the other Proof Silver Dollars from the 1860s. Although also popular with type collectors and investors, this issue enjoys its greatest demand from Seated Dollar date collectors who understand its rarity and conditionally challenging nature of the pretty much unavailable Mint quality business strike 1869.
Apparently spurred on by the ease with which destinies along with cities were destroyed during the Civil War, a religious revival swept much of the United States in the 1860s. This revival touched the Seated Dollar in 1866 through the addition of the motto IN GOD WE TRUST to the reverse design. The first Proofs of this new type were struck that year, as they would be every year through the series' end in 1873.
There is little difference between the rarity of the eight Proof deliveries in the Motto Seated Dollar series. Nevertheless, some of these issues are more popular with collectors than others due to the rare, conditionally challenging nature of their identically dated business strike counterparts. Excellent examples are the 1866 (particularly) 1867, 1868 and 1869, which enjoy greater demand among date collectors than the 1870, 1871, 1872 and 1873. On the other hand, the final four issues are perhaps a bit more desirable with Proof type collectors. Pop 1; 4 finer, 3 in 66 and 1 in 67 (PCGS # 97017) .
Commentary: A coin issued during one of the more hectic years on record, 1869. First, there was a nearly successful attempt to corner the New York gold market by speculators which confounded money men world-wide; then, too, the first cross-country railroad link was completed with the pounding-in of the golden spike at Promontory, Utah to similar world-wide news coverage. It is interesting to note that the mintage of silver and gold coins at the Philadelphia Mint continued at relatively low levels due to the impairment of contracts from the Federal greenback paper money in circulation. The East was recovering from the devastating effects of the Civil War while things were "business as usual" on the West Coast. As this coin demonstrates, silver Proofs were sold in limited numbers by the Philadelphia Mint and apparently for a long time since few Gems survive. If only it could speak; if only it could tell the tale of its years formation of the United State industrial giant this country would become in the 20th Century.
Estimated Value $10,000 - 12,000.
|
| |
| Realized $17,250 |
|
