Rarities Night, Featuring the ESM Collection of Half Cents

In the 1850s, Americans started exploring the West Coast for trade purposes. However, the American merchants were challenged by a lower value associated with Seated Liberty Dollars due to the decreasing silver content in those coins. To overcome this problem, commercial dollars with a higher silver content were minted from July of 1873 until 1878. Even after the circulation stopped in 1878, the 1885 Trade Dollar appeared in the numismatics market until the early 20th century. Many of these coins are said to be minted clandestinely for personal gains by Archibald Loudon Snowden, then the superintendent of the Philadelphia Mint. Today, only five examples of the 1885 trade dollars exist. Stack’s Bowers Galleries presents a Proof-64 1885 Trade Dollar in their upcoming auction. 

Also featured is a Cameo 1884 Trade Dollar. The 1884 Trade Dollars are among the top ten available coins minted in 1884 and hold the 78th rank in the 100 Greatest U.S. Coins compilation. The auction will also feature a sandblast, matte-finish 1913 Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle $20 coin. Also showcased are several 1915 $50 round and octagonal coins, struck to commemorate the Panama-Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco. Collectors can also explore examples of Lincoln cents, Classic Head half-cents, and Morgan dollars in this event. Register to bid online on Stack’s Bowers Galleries.