United States 1842 dollar
This specimen was lot 1023 in Sincona Auction 103 (Zürich, May 2026), where it sold for 550 CHF (about US$838 including buyers' fees). The catalog description[1] noted,
"USA, 1 Dollar 1842, Philadelphia. Seated Liberty type. Sehr schön. Hübsche Patina. Berieben. (Very Fine, Nice toning, Slightly polished.)"
This type, struck 1840-65 in small quantities, is available in circulated condition. The 1847, along with 1859-O, 1860 and 1860-O, are the common dates, the result of a release of a quantity from Treasury vaults in the 1960's. Unlike the minor coinage, the silver dollar's weight was never revised in 1853 or 1873. This accounts for the absence of the "arrows" varieties. The only design change was the addition of the motto "IN GOD WE TRUST" in 1866.
Recorded mintage: 184,618.
Specification: 26.73 g, 0.900 fine silver, .773 troy oz ASW, 38.1 mm diameter, reeded edge, designed by Christian Gobrecht, this specimen 26.55 g.
Catalog reference: KM 71.
- Alexander, David T., Coin World Comprehensive Catalog & Encyclopedia of United States Coins, Sidney, OH: Amos Press, 1995.
- Breen, Walter H., Walter Breen's Complete Encyclopedia of U. S. and Colonial Coins, New York: Doubleday, 1987.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900, 9th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- Yeoman, R. S., and Kenneth Bressett (ed.), A Guide Book of United States Coins, 65th Ed., Atlanta, GA: Whitman Publishing, 2011.
- [1]Richter, Jürg, Michael Hardmeier, Michael Otto, Arne Kirsch, Ruedi Kunzmann and Timur Demirai, SINCONA Auction 103: World and Swiss coins and medals, Zürich: SINCONA AG, 2026.
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