Walter Breen
A few specimens in silver (Judd 342) survive with motto reverse of type adopted in 1866. Time of manufacture unknown, believed 1868-9. Date minutely below center. Same comment as to quarter and silver dollar. Dr. Judd, "Ill. Hist." :294. earliest auction record? 1942 ANA:394, 361, 307 (25¢, 50¢, $1), not later traced.
Silver Dollar. [460] *B-1. Low date to r., shield point left of tip of 1, left base of lover space. Rev. Different from foregoing dies. Defect joins two arrows; unpolished or unfinished patch joins upper and center leaves, including a curved line. Business strikes (B-2) have centered date.
-Motto IN GOD WE TRUST. Judd 345. Low date, shield point about over left upright of 1, base of lover r. part of dentil. Rev. of late 1867-8-9 proofs, q.v. Possibly four survive. (1) Woodin, Newcomer, Judd, "Ill. Hist.":295. (2) Atwater: 225, Ewait:44, Dines:790. (3) Bolender, Ostheimer, LM 9/68:453. Probably should have been in the chapter Restrikes and Fantasy Pieces.
Silver-minor proof sets. [460] March 5, 100 struck; March 8, 160; May 26, 200. Garrett:299, $3250. Most surviving sets appear to have been assembled. It is unknown if the restrikes of smaller silver came in sets. Incidentally, mint regulations specified that hereafter new proof sets would be available by March 1 of the current year. This promise was violated in 1863, 1865 for gold, 1867 for gold, 1887 and some later years. Note that I have been showing a mintage of at least as many cents as silver proofs: this is because (as R. W. Julian points out) silver sets contained cents, though proof cents probably were also individually distributed in addition to those in the sets.
Gold Dollar. [50] Very small date as in 1861-2 but heavy and looking even more minute. *B-1: Tip of 1 about below left tip of first L, not below O. Extremely rare, probably under 15 known, possibly less than a dozen. (1) SI. (2) ANS. (3) WGC, "Memorable": 19. This may have reappeared as Lohr:977, selling to S.S. (4) Nate Shapero:703, slight rubbing. (5) Garrett:409. (6) Mehl 12/12/39, Phila. Estate. Few others. Restrikes may exist but decisive evidence is lacking. All proofs reportedly delivered March 23. A few may have been from B-2 dies (tip of 1 below 0), used for business strikes between June 24 and Nov. 30, 1863.
*Quarter Eagle. [30] Only the one variety, no rumor of restrikes; struck March 23. Date below center. Rev. From the new hub, different from S mint coins, lighter lettering than on later proofs. The following enumeration is the most complete yet attempted, though it is probably a few short of complete. (1) S1 ex Mint. (2) Mint, Brock, Morgan, ANS. (3) Heman Ely, Woodward pvt. sale Sept. 5, 1888 (set), Garrett: 408, $52,500, Essex. (4) John H. Clapp, Eliasberg. (5) Bell, I sale, Eliasberg, "H. R. Lee": 1035, NN 49:627, L. O. Ross. Gem, several lint marks. (6) H. P. Smith, Menjou:1213, DavisGraves:714. (7) Atwater: 1967, Grant Pierce: 1179, choice, copper stains on bottom rev. rim. (8) Boyd, WGC:131, possibly ex Parmelee: 1328, Woodin: 1006, Newcomer. (9) Farouk, Norweb. (10) Bell II: 182, impaired, 1971 CSNS (RARCOA) :425, 1973 ANA: 827. Barely possibly same as (11) Nate Shapero: 840, impaired - photographs do not permit certainty. (12) "Memorable" : 122. Barely possibly as as (6) or (8) above, though the wording of the catalogue leaves an element of doubt. We can be certain at least that the above listing includes between 9 and 11 coins known to be different. The following records indicate existence of possibly as many as six more: (a)Belden Roach. (b) Dr. Green:111. (c) Col. Green, Kern: 59. (d) Melish:1256, to book bidder 909. (e) 1956 ANA. (f) Brand-Lichtenfels I: 1040. (g) Wolfson: 189. (h) Miles:189, R. P., Ullmer:369, $50,000. (i) Shuford. (j) Mocatta Metals - same as (h)? The alterations from 1863 S are botched jobs, poorly struck and worn; arrowheads on S mint coins are much longer. The alterations from 1868 need not deceive anyone, as the numerals on 1868 are in larger broad-faced figures wholly unlike 1863. The 3 on genuine 1863's is narrow with almost no distinction in thickness between knobs and curves left and right; on the 1868, final 8 has left the right curves several times the thickness of upper and lower parts, and any knobs produced in alteration to a 3 would be too big. The enlarged illustration should settle any doubts,
Three Dollars. [39] *B-1. Eight or nine traced, few others possible. (I) S1 ex Mint. (2) ANS ex Brock, Morgan. (3) Clapp, Eliasberg. (4) Norweb. (5) Garrett: 407, $8,000. (6) John Zug, Eliasberg, NN 49:556. (7) Grant Pierce:1250, Jay:280, cheek rub. (8) Wolfson:288. One of the above, possibly either (4), (6), or (8), is believed ex Boyd, WGC, "Memorable." No report of restrikes.
Half Eagle. [30] *B-1. Date slants up to right, left base of 1 slightly r. of center. Not over a dozen around. (1) S1. (2) ANS. (3) Garrett: 406, cloudy, $8,500. (4) EIiasberg. (5) Amon Carter Sr. and Jr. (6) Baldenhofer:1331, copper stains. (7) Melish:2119, choice, to the book. (8) "Memorable": 364, probably same as one of foregoing. There are two impaired examples in private collections.