USA 1 dollar Trade Dollar 1873
USA, Philadelphia
Rarity
Scarce
Attributes of Coins
| Region | USA |
|---|---|
| Denomination | 1 dollar |
| Krause number | KM# 108 |
| Mintage | 397,500 |
| Metal | Silver 0.900 |
| thickness | 3 mm |
| diameter | 37.8 mm |
| weight | 27.22 g |
Obverse:
Liberty
People
Star
Creators:
William Barber
IN GOD WE TRUST
LIBERTY
Reverse:
Bird
Coat of arms
Creators:
William Barber
420 GRAINS. 900 FINE.
E PLURIBUS UNUM
TRADE DOLLAR
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Introduction of Coins
Coining of the first trade dollars at the Philadelphia Mint commenced July 11, 1873, and the first distribution of these occurred three days later when 40,000 were issued to depositors of silver bullion. Since this coin was intended for export to the Far East, it was inevitable that production at this facility would always be overshadowed by that of the San Francisco Mint. So it was in 1873 when Philly's mintage was a modest 396,900 pieces, little more than half that of its western cousin. The vast majority of these coined were indeed shipped overseas and ultimately lost to the melting pot. This was the fate of most silver coins imported into China and neighboring seaports, as bullion bars were easier to store. In his 1993 silver dollar encyclopedia, Q. David Bowers estimated that only about 1250-2000 examples survive in circulated grades and perhaps a couple hundred in Mint State. Precious few of the latter are gems, most examples peaking in the MS 62-64 range. The peculiar "billboard" font used for this coins reverse legends left the letters vulnerable to chipping of the hub. This and other entries in the series are known with these letters intact and also with missing or manually repaired serifs.Read More
