1876 T$1 PR62 认证号35476324, PCGS号7056

Type 1 Obverse, Type 1 Reverse. The only proof in my collection, but it's a nice one. The rarest of the four 1876 proof types, this was cracked out of an NGC PL holder.

Q. David Bowers

The following narrative, with minor editing, is from my "Silver Dollars & Trade Dollars of the United States: A Complete Encyclopedia" (Wolfeboro, NH: Bowers and Merena Galleries, Inc., 1993):

Availability of Proofs: Today, Proofs are readily available (within the context of the trade dollar series). However, nice quality Proofs seem to trade less frequently than the population data suggest. In 1992 a leading dealer sought to put together a date set of 1873-1883 Proof trade dollars, and found that the 1876 was the last coin acquired, and that 1873 was also difficult to track down. The rarity of 1873 is to be expected, but the elusive nature of the 1876 came as a surprise.

Most are in the lower levels of Proof-60 through Proof-63, however, and still others are impaired. As a general rule, many 1876 Proof coins of all denominations were handled carelessly, probably because many were sold to the general public, to people who didn't know enough to handle coins carefully by their edges. Bruce Amspacher has commented that the Proofs are "notorious for poor quality."

In a 1982 survey of 14 auction appearances of Proof 1876 trade dollars, Mark Borckardt found none of I/I, 12 of I/II, and two of II/II.

Varieties:

OBVERSE TYPE I: RIBBON ENDS POINT LEFT, 1873-1876
REVERSE TYPE I: BERRY BELOW CLAW, 1873-1876

Proofs:

1. Breen-5798. Proofs have broken letters on the reverse. Presently very rare. These may have formed a small part of the 250 Proofs made in January and February. Walter H. Breen knew of only four specimens in 1991.(Additionally, Walter Breen's Encyclopedia of u.s. and Colonial Proof Coins, p. 155, mentions a one-sided Proof (Proof obverse only; business strike reverse) from the John Zug estate.)

OBVERSE TYPE I: RIBBON ENDS POINT LEFT, 1873-1876
REVERSE TYPE II: NO BERRY BELOW CLAW, 1875-1885

Proofs:

1. Breen-5799. The vast majority of Proofs are of this style. Some have light striking at stars 5 and 6 and traces of light striking on the head. Starr:776, Stack's, October 1992, was slightly doubled at the inside of the shoulder of the eagle's left wing, and slightly doubled on the left of the letters in UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

OBVERSE TYPE II: RIBBON ENDS POINT DOWN, 1876-1885
REVERSE TYPE II: NO BERRY BELOW CLAW, 1875-1885

Proofs:

1. Type II/II. Possibly five or more times rarer than Proofs of I/II. A specimen in the W.E. Seton
Collection has these characteristics: Obverse:

"Pimple" below ear on neck of Miss Liberty; another pimple on wrist centered above where branch joins arm; some Proof finish in space on top of bale. Reverse: Very delicate doubling of left side of most letters in TRADE DOLLAR.

Proofs:

Dies prepared: Obverse: Unknown; Reverse: Unknown

Proof mintage: 1,150; Delivery figures by month: January: 200; February: 50; March: 200; April: 100; May:100; June: 200; July: none; August: 200; September: none; October: none; November: 100; December: none.