1873-1885 Trade Dollars
Trade Dollars were struck for circulation for less than five years during the period from July 1873 to April 1878. These coins were minted during the suspension of the standard silver dollar denomination and were intended primarily for export; however, the Philadelphia Mint continued to fulfill orders from collects for Proofs during the next five […]
The Philadelphia Mint struck Proof Trade Dollars (Buy on eBay) for each year the coins were issued for circulation. The production of Proofs also continued for several years after the last circulation strikes, creating a number of Proof-only issues. During the circulation strike years from 1873 to 1878, Proof coin production ranged from a low […]
The Trade Dollar has the same composition as the previous silver dollar series at 90% silver and 10% copper. However, the weight is 420 grains or 27.22 grams, representing an increase from the previous standard of 26.73 grams. The increase in weight and silver content was intended to make the United States coins comparable to […]
With only five known examples, the 1885 Trade Dollar (Buy on eBay) represents a valuable and enigmatic rarity within American numismatics. Although the production of the series for circulation stopped in 1878, the Philadelphia Mint continued to strike Proof Trade Dollars for numismatic purposes for the next several years. Initially, it was believed that the […]
The 1884 Trade Dollar (Buy on eBay) represents one of the two extreme rarities of the series. Struck in proof format, the issue was not known to the numismatic community until the early 20th century. Only ten examples are known to exist, which is also the mintage figure indicated per all the major publications. Following […]