1875 T$1 MS(PCGS#7037)

June 2025 Showcase Auction U.S. Coins

Auctioneer

Stack's Bowers

Lot Number

2296

Grade

MS65+

Price

13,800

Lot Description

High Condition Census standing for this eagerly sought circulation strike trade dollar issue. Wonderfully original surfaces exhibit gently mottled steel-olive and pinkish-apricot iridescence on a base of warm golden-silver patina. The luster is outstanding - full and billowy with a playful satin texture. The strike detail is no less impressive, well above average for the type with most features full and just a hint of trivial softness to the eagle's left talon on the reverse. Devoid of distracting blemishes, this stunning coin was obviously preserved with the utmost care since the day of issue.<p>Although by 1875 the trade dollar had become a mainstay in Oriental commerce, as intended, the Philadelphia Mint produced its lowest mintage circulation strike issue of the type with a mere 218,200 coins struck. The nation's main coinage facility was situated too far from the major embarkation ports on the West Coast through which most trade dollars left the United States for the Orient and, indeed, most coins of this denomination were struck in the San Francisco and Carson City mints. With chopmarked survivors particularly elusive, it is likely that most 1875 trade dollars actually remained stateside and were used in domestic commerce until the federal government repealed the legal tender status of this denomination the following year. Today, the 1875 is the rarest Philadelphia Mint trade dollar in Mint State. A superior quality survivor with outstanding eye appeal, it has been quite some time since we have offered an example of comparable significance to this impressive upper end Gem.