The Harry W. Bass, Jr. Collection - Part II

201     1877 MS-66 (PCGS). Amazing quality for the grade level. Lovely bright orange-gold lustre, reflective fields with frosty cameo devices. The business strike mintage this year continued at the low-production trend, and only 3,900 were struck. This was two years before gold dollars became a popular item for hoarding. Thus, only a few high grade Mint State pieces have.

From Abe Kosoff’s sale of the Shuford Collection, May 1968, Lot 1668.

202     1877 MS-63. Another bright yellow gold coin with reflective light greenish gold lustre. An aesthetic treat, a coin for the connoisseur.

203     1877 MS-62 PL. A further lovely example with reflective lustre and a few minor marks.

From Superior’s sale of December 1972, Lot 1875.

204     1877 MS-62. Reflective light yellow gold with minor surface marks. Another desirable example of this scarce low-mintage issue.

From Stack’s sale of May 1971, Lot 1201.

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205     1878 MS-64. A delightful example of this scarce issue, one of just 3,000 struck. Frosty bright yellow gold lustre with very choice surfaces. Light die lines fill the interior spaces of the final 8. Last year of the really rare business strike gold dollars.

Purchased from Strauss Coin Co., December 13, 1971.

206     1878 MS-62. Reflective brilliant yellow gold with very minor surface marks. A lovely example with very minor hairlines and other abrasions. Final digit 8 filled with minuscule die lines.

Purchased from Strauss Coin Co., December 13, 1971.

207     1878 MS-60. A third opportunity to acquire a nice Mint State example of this scarce issue. Sharply struck with lightly reflective surfaces. Final digit 8 filled as previously.

Purchased from Rowe and Brownlee, February 24, 1967.

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208     1879 MS-64 (PCGS). A wonderful gold dollar with fully reflective obverse fields and lustrous devices, the reverse having frosty light yellow gold lustre. A scarce issue with just 3,000 struck. Ever popular due to the low mintage, although not a great rarity today.

Beginning in 1879, gold dollars became a very popular speculation with the general public. At the same time, in late autumn of the year, trade dollars were also widely sought for investment purposes. While the trade dollar "bubble" petered out in 1980, gold dollars remained popular through the late 1880s. In some instances, customers of banks would place orders to be transmitted to the Treasury Department to obtain quantities, this procedure said to have been followed by T. Harrison Garrett and/or others involved with the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad for the gold dollar dates 1879-1881. Documentation is scarce, and theories are abundant, so we may never know the exact truth. However, dealers were fond of calling the attention of collectors to the low mintages of the era (see note under Lot 235), this being particularly true of the silver denominations, but to an extent including gold dollars as well.

Purchased from Rowe and Brownlee, February 24, 1967.

209     1879 MS-64. Another delightful Mint State example, this having brilliant, frosty light yellow gold lustre. Sharply struck and with very few minuscule abrasions. Ever popular due to the enticingly low business strike mintage figure of 3,000 pieces.

Purchased from Rarcoa, July 24, 1972.

Choice Proof 1880 Gold Dollar

Just 36 Struck

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210     1880 Proof-64 (PCGS). A glittering jewel with sharp design details and bright yellow gold Proof surfaces. A few very minor hairlines and surface abrasions keep this out of the gem category. Two small coppery orange spots are noted on the reverse. Just 36 Proofs were struck with 20 coined on February 14 and the other 16 late in September, according to Mint records reported by Walter Breen in his Complete Encyclopedia.

This lovely coin begins an offering of eight individual 1880 gold dollars. At least this one example is a Proof with the balance being either frosty or prooflike business strikes. We will make our best attempt at distinguishing between the methods of manufacture. Walter Breen noted in his Proof Encyclopedia: "The coins of this date are enough to give a conscientious cataloguer or authenticator nightmares, ulcer attacks, and premature gray hair. Proofs and many business strikes come from the same dies, and most of the extant business strikes come from brilliantly polished dies on polished blanks!"

PCGS Population: 6; 1 finer (Proof-65).

Walter Breen noted the following die characteristics for Proofs: No die file marks at ATES, upper (horizontal) serif of 1 (in denomination) below adjacent leaf tip, wreath tips join.

This example meets these criteria as do four other examples to follow, including both examples with frosty lustre and mirrored prooflike surfaces. Therefore, all we can deduce from Breen’s descriptions is that if an example does not match all of these characteristics, it is not a Proof.

Determination between Proofs and prooflike business strikes becomes a matter of examination of strike, surface quality, and other traits common to all Proof coins.

From Stack’s sale of the Scanlon Collection, October 1973, Lot 1997.

Gem Mint State 1880 Gold Dollar

Frosty Lustre

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211     1880 MS-65. A lovely gem with sharp design details and brilliant, frosty mint lustre. Virtually pristine surfaces with the same die characteristics described by Breen for Proofs.

Purchased from Rowe and Brownlee, February 24, 1967.

Superb Mint State 1880 Gold Dollar

Frosty Mint Lustre

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212     1880 MS-65. A wonderful, lustrous example with brilliant yellow gold surfaces. Minuscule surface abrasions are noted along with small splashes of coppery orange toning. From Breen’s Proof dies.

From Superior’s sale of the Ruby Collection, February 1974, Lot 1696.

Gem 1880 Gold Dollar

Proof Dies

Frosty Lustre

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213     1880 MS-65. A superb example with brilliant and frosty yellow gold lustre and some splashes of coppery orange toning. Nearly flawless surfaces with considerable aesthetic appeal. From Breen’s Proof dies yet unquestionably a business strike.

Purchased from Rarcoa, August 23, 1973.

214     1880 MS-64 PL. A lovely bright yellow gold cameo gold dollar with deep mirrored fields and highly lustrous devices. A prooflike business strike, based on Walter Breen’s analysis, even though this looks just like the Proof offered as Lot 210. The obverse has die file lines through ATES, clearly suggesting business strike status. A small sliver of dark toning is present on the reverse rim at 1:00.

Again we note that much research has yet to be published concerning Proofs vis-à-vis business strikes in the gold series. The present Bass Collection catalogue contains much hitherto unpublished information, and the forthcoming volume by John Dannreuther will take a seven-league stride in this direction.

From Lester Merkin’s sale of June 1972, Lot 354.

215     1880 MS-64 PL. Fully prooflike bright yellow gold surfaces with lustrous, cameo devices. A few very minor surface impairments are noted including a dark spot behind the lower hair curls. From the same dies as described by Breen for Proofs, however, we do not believe this example actually is a Proof. Certainly, each individual bidder should arrive at his or her own conclusion.

Purchased from Rarcoa, July 24, 1972.

216     1880 MS-64 PL. A wonderful prooflike cameo with sharp design details struck in bright yellow gold. A coin of considerable aesthetic appeal. With the die file lines through ATES common to business strikes of this issue. The fields are not quite as deeply mirrored as on others in the present offering.

Purchased from Se Ro Coins, Inc., May 15, 1971.

217     1880 MS-62. A pleasing example with satiny, reflective surfaces and light pink and lilac toning. Quite attractive despite a few minor hairlines and other abrasions.

Purchased from Se Ro Coins, Inc., May 15, 1971.

Superb Mint State 1881 Gold Dollar

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218     1881 MS-67 (PCGS). This superb gem has satiny, reflective lustre with pristine surfaces. Highly lustrous bright yellow gold with very sharp design details. Certainly one of the finest survivors from a mintage of just 7,620 coins. Although several examples of this issue are offered in the present sale, all of the 1881 gold dollars appear to be unquestionable business strikes, but we certainly invite any interested bidders to a "Proof price" if they disagree!

From Abe Kosoff’s sale of the Julian Marks Collection, October 1971, Lot 1605.

Lustrous Gem 1881 Gold Dollar

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219     1881 MS-67 (PCGS). An incredible gem with brilliant, frosty orange-gold lustre and surfaces that define perfection. Very faint hairlines on the cheek keep this out of the superb gem classification.

From Abner Kreisberg’s sale of November 1972, Lot 1071.

Gem Mint State 1881 Gold Dollar

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220     1881 MS-66 (PCGS). Sharply struck with brilliant, satiny yellow gold lustre; very slightly reflective in nature. Another wonderful example with virtually perfect surfaces.

From Lester Merkin’s sale of June 1970, Lot 637.

Frosty Gem 1881 Gold Dollar

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221     1881 MS-65. Brilliant yellow gold with frosty mint lustre and only a few very minor surface abrasions. A lovely, high-quality example.

From Superior’s sale of the Gilhousen Collection, February 1973, Lot 82.

222     1881 MS-64. Sharply struck with reflective, almost prooflike, yellow gold surfaces. A very pleasing example.

Purchased from Strauss Coin Co., December 13, 1971.

223     1881 MS-63 PL. Bright yellow gold, very slightly subdued on the reverse. Reflective prooflike lustre adds to the overall appeal of this choice coin.

From Stack’s sale of the Miles Collection, October 1968, Lot 70.

Gem Mint State 1882 Gold Dollar

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224     1882 MS-65. Very sharply struck with frosty brilliant yellow gold lustre and considerable vivid orange toning, primarily on the obverse. Pristine surfaces.

Purchased from Rowe and Brownlee, February 24, 1967.

225     1882 MS-64. Satiny yellow gold lustre with very choice surfaces. A delightful example with very minor hairlines and other abrasions.

Purchased from Rarcoa, July 24, 1972.

226     1882 MS-63 PL. Prooflike deep yellow gold surfaces with minor hairlines and other surface marks, none serious although a small scrape is noted left of the date.

From Abe Kosoff’s sale of the Shuford Collection, May 1968, Lot 1673.

Lovely Proof 1883 Gold Dollar

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227     1883 Proof-64. Pedigreed to the Garrett Collection, part of a set of gold Proofs of this year. When Stack’s offered this coin in 1976, the cataloguer stated simply: "Brilliant Proof, a lovely specimen struck in deep yellow gold. Very few appearances in the past ten years." Today in 1999, the same comment is appropriate–although, of course, the 10-year period in question is different.

From Stack’s Garrett sale, March 1976, Lot 481.

Gem Mint State 1883 Gold Dollar

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228     1883 MS-65. Sharply struck with reflective, satiny yellow gold lustre. An attractive business strike with pristine surfaces. Borders are slightly granular as usually seen on business strikes.

From Lester Merkin’s sale of March 1967, Lot 397.

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229     1883 MS-64. Light orange-gold with soft frosty lustre. A few minor hairlines are visible on the reverse. The borders have the typical granular appearance of business strikes.

From Abe Kosoff’s sale of the Shuford Collection, May 1968, Lot 1675.

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230     1883 MS-64. Brilliant, frosty light yellow gold lustre with sharp design details. A few very minor abrasions are noted. The borders are clean, without the roughness seen on some examples of this issue.

Light reverse clash marks.

Purchased from Stanley Kesselman, May 21, 1971.

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231     1883 MS-64. Satiny light yellow gold with sharp design details and few very minor imperfections.

From lapped dies with considerable detail polished away. Only the L of LIBERTY is visible, for instance.

Purchased from Stanley Kesselman, February 1, 1972.

232     1883 MS-63. Moderately reflective light yellow gold with minor hairlines and other imperfections, including planchet striations on the obverse. This latter characteristic was a result of the minting process.

From Stack’s sale of February 1972, Lot 609.

233     1883 MS-62. Light yellow gold with reflective surfaces. Minor hairlines and other imperfections are noted.

Lapped obverse and reverse dies.

From Stack’s sale of May 1972, Lot 1583.

Choice Proof 1884 Gold Dollar

Repunched Date

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234     1884 Proof-66 (PCGS). The date is sharply repunched with the original date placement slanting sharply up to the right, the original digit 1 almost 50% below the final placement. Breen described this, in his Complete Encyclopedia, as a Proof-only variety.

PCGS Population: 6; none finer.

Although Walter Breen described this variety with sharply doubled date as only known in Proof, the present sale has two other examples, both frosty Mint State coins.

From Abe Kosoff’s sale of the Marks Collection, October 1971, Lot 1607.

Gem Mint State 1884 Gold Dollar

Repunched Date

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235     1884 MS-65. Reflective, satiny bright yellow gold lustre with pristine surfaces and considerable eye appeal. An example of the repunched date variety that Walter Breen considered to be Proof only, however, this example is not a Proof, in our opinion.

In 1884 Ebenezer Locke Mason, Jr., one of several dealers in the active community in Philadelphia, published on several occasions that no business strikes would be produced this year, and that the entire mintage would be limited to Proofs. During the same era he was quite cognizant of the low published mintage figures of certain other coins, and for his customers and for investors made up sets of low-mintage dimes, quarters, and half dollars. The Mint was very cozy with information it gave out in advance (prior to the publication of the Annual Report of the Director of the Mint ), and many misleading statements reached the ears of collectors and dealers. This was in

the twilight time of Mint fooling around, which seems to have begun in a significant way in late spring 1859, and the administration of James Ross Snowden, and to have ended by summer 1885. In the meantime, "official" information disseminated by the Mint, including by James Ross Snowden, Archibald Loudon Snowden, William E. Dubois, Dr. Henry R. Linderman, and Patterson Dubois is laced with lies, omissions, and misleading information.

In particular, W.E. Dubois, an accomplished writer and high-level numismatist, is viewed as being particularly deceptive, as what he committed to print was often true and often contained information not hitherto known. However, it also contained deliberate falsehoods, not identified as such.

All of this is of no particular concern today except to scholars, as few care whether or not mintage figures were absolutely accurate, or whether restrikes were made, or whether certain insiders at the Mint obtained special pieces that were not available to the general public. Today, coins are most often considered on their availability–how many exist in a different grade and format. However, we find it interesting to explore the past and to sort out, as best we can, nuances in the comments of Mint officials and favored outsiders (the latter including William K. Idler and John W. Haseltine in particular). By the way, the same sort of thing still continues. We recently read a column by David L. Ganz in which he stated that this past summer 12 gold strikings of Sacagawea dollars were produced and sent aboard the Space Shuttle in July. As of the time the present catalogue is being written, collectors have no way of obtaining these unless they pay a hefty price to a lucky recipient. The most honest, direct action of the Mint would be to make such new gold coins available to any and all comers at a modest price. But, we digress. Back to our listing of remarkable gold dollars…

Purchased from Stanley Kesselman, February 1, 1972.

236     1884 MS-64. Brilliant satiny yellow gold with a slightly prooflike appearance. An attractive business strike example.

Light obverse and reverse clash marks.

From Abner Kreisberg’s sale of November 1972, Lot 1074.

237     1884 MS-63 PL. A lovely example of Breen’s repunched date variety, with considerable prooflike lustre, a business strike in our opinion, but considered by other experts to be fully Proof. Catalogued by Superior in 1973 as: "Only 1,006 pieces struck in Proof condition. Tiny planchet flaw below Liberty’s chin. Brilliant Proof." We take no firm stand on this, and invite bidders to classify the issue as they wish.

From Superior’s sale of the Gilhousen Collection, February 1973, Lot 86.

238     1884 MS-63. Another example of Breen’s repunched date variety, this having reflective satiny surfaces and minor abrasions.

From Stack’s sale of DiBello Collection, May 1970, Lot 585.

239     1884 MS-63. Sharply struck in bright yellow gold with reflective surfaces and minor imperfections. A lovely coin with considerable eye appeal.

Light obverse and reverse clash marks.

From Stack’s sale of the Alto Collection, December 1970, Lot 50.

240     1884 MS-63. Deep yellow gold with reflective, satiny lustre. Very sharply struck. The reverse has a toning spot at 10:00 with a few tiny scratches. Repunched date variety.

Purchased from Abe Kosoff, July 23, 1973.

241     1884 MS-62. Reflective bright yellow gold with minor hairlines and abrasions.

Light obverse and reverse clash marks.

Purchased from Stanley Kesselman, November 15, 1967.

Gem Mint State 1885 Gold Dollar

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242     1885 MS-65. This lovely prooflike business strike has lightly reflective mirrored fields and lustrous bright yellow devices. Pleasing surfaces with wonderful aesthetic appeal.

The obverse has a die crack from the top of Liberty’s forehead to D in UNITED. A bulge in the field is located above this crack.

From Stack’s sale of the Scanlon Collection, October 1973, Lot 2006.

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243     1885 MS-64. Reflective bright yellow gold surfaces with minor abrasions. Sharply struck and attractive.

From Stack’s sale of the DiBello Collection, May 1970, Lot 586.

244     1885 MS-63. Brilliant yellow gold with a few minor imperfections, including a small scratch along the reverse border.

From Lester Merkin’s sale of March 1967, Lot 398.

245     Pair of 1885 gold dollars. Both are graded MS-62 with strong mint lustre. (Total: 2 pieces)

Desirable Proof 1886 Gold Dollar

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246     1886 Proof-65 (PCGS). This sharply struck choice Proof has deeply mirrored fields and lustrous light yellow gold devices, a wonderful cameo. Clearly a Proof with wavy surfaces normally associated with 19th-century Proof gold.

From Stack’s sale of the Scanlon Collection, October 1973, Lot 2007.

Gem Mint State 1886 Gold Dollar

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247     1886 MS-66 (PCGS). Superb satiny yellow gold lustre with sharp design details and superb aesthetic appeal. An important business strike example. Over the years we seem to have had relatively few business strikes of the 1886 date. Perhaps they were not as subject to speculative interest as the others, or perhaps there is some other explanation.

PCGS Population: 8; 1 finer (MS-67).

Light reverse clash marks including those from LIBERTY at the date, which gives the appearance that the date has been recut.

From Stack’s sale of the Miles Collection, October 1968, Lot 75.

248     1886 MS-64. Sharply struck with brilliant, satiny yellow gold lustre. A few minor abrasions are noted, none serious. A very pleasing example.

Purchased from Rowe and Brownlee, February 24, 1967.

249     1886 MS-63 PL. Reflective greenish gold with traces of orange lustre. Minor hairlines and other surface abrasions are detected.

From Abe Kosoff’s sale of the Shuford Collection, May 1968, Lot 1678.

250     1886 MS-63. Pleasing light yellow gold lustre with satiny reflective surfaces. A few very small splashes of coppery orange toning are noted.

Purchased from Abe Kosoff, July 23, 1973.

Gem Proof 1887 Gold Dollar

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251     1887 Proof-65 (PCGS). A lovely cameo Proof with bright yellow gold mirrored fields and lighter, cameo devices. Slightly wavy (or watery), fields; this characteristic common to Proofs of the era.

Purchased from Rowe and Brownlee, February 24, 1967.

252     1887 MS-64. Frosty orange-gold with very minor imperfections. Sharply struck with brilliant lustre. An attractive example of the date.

Purchased from Dan Brown, October 18, 1966.

253     1887 MS-64. A choice example of this issue, with orange-gold lustre. The surfaces are quite pleasing.

Purchased from Abe Kosoff, July 23, 1973.

Gem Mint State 1888 Gold Dollar

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254     1888 MS-65. A superb example, boldly struck with amazing frosty orange-gold lustre. The surfaces are very nearly flawless. A delightful example, a coin for the connoisseur.

From Abe Kosoff’s sale of the Shuford Collection, April 1968, Lot 1680

255     1888 MS-64. Reflective light greenish gold surfaces with a few very minor hairlines and other abrasions.

From Abe Kosoff’s sale of the Marks Collection, October 1971, Lot 1612.

256     1888 MS-63. Brilliant and frosty pale yellow gold lustre with a few minor contact marks expected for the grade. A pleasing example.

Purchased from Rowe and Brownlee, February 24, 1967.

257     1888 MS-62. Frosty light yellow gold lustre with minor hairlines and other imperfections. A desirable example.

Purchased from Rarcoa, August 23, 1973.

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258     1889 MS-64. Final year of the gold dollar denomination. Very sharply struck with frosty bright yellow gold lustre. A few minor surface marks away from gem quality. Minor splashes of coppery orange toning especially noted on the reverse.

Purchased from Rowe and Brownlee, February 24, 1967.

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259     1889 MS-64. Sharply struck with brilliant yellow gold lustre, frosty in appearance. A wonderful example destined to become part of a choice to gem date or type collection.

Light obverse and reverse clash marks.

Purchased from Superior, April 11, 1973.

260     1889 MS-63. A final example of the final year of issue, thus bringing the present offering of gold dollars to an end. Sharply struck with frosty light yellow gold and minimal surface abrasions.

This concludes what no doubt is the most remarkable offering of gold dollars in the history of American numismatics. Opportunities exist for the connoisseur and specialist to select rarities and landmark coins, for the type set collector to acquire high grade conditions of the three major designs, and for the average interested buyer to contemplate our descriptions and select upon this coin or that coin with a special appeal–whether it be rarity of grade, or fascination of die variety, or association with history.

Purchased from Edwin Shapiro, April 7, 1969.