1846
Silver Dollar NGC PF62. The 1846 silver dollar proofs
had an estimated mintage of 20 to 25 pieces struck for
collectors at the time. In his Silver Dollar Encyclopedia,
Bowers suggests that as much as 40 pieces might have
been struck, but this number definitely is on the high
side. As coin collecting was not yet popular, only a
few coin collectors bought the specially produced proofs
at the Philadelphia Mint. The actual number released
could be much lower. Whatever the mintage was, approximately
12-14 1846 silver dollars still exist in all grades.
Collecting the early seated proofs
has never been popular due to the excessive rarity of
these pieces. Some are widely publicized, like the 1851
and 1852 silver dollars which were had very small circulation
strike mintages and were later restruck in proof format.
Others have not attracted much attention in numismatic
literature. This keeps prices relatively low, and provides
a real challenge…if you want a real one of course.
Pieces only come occasionally on the market, but when
they do they do not always attract as much attention
as they deserve.
The present piece is an original survivor
of the very small mintage. Darkly toned, colors ranging
from dark gray to vivid blue are seen on the mirrored
surfaces. A very strong strike, expected for a proof,
is seen on both sides. Unfortunately, the coin experienced
some rough handling that limits the grade. However,
with the rarity of this piece and the frequency these
come available this will not be an obstacle for the
serious collector. NGC has graded only 1 1846 silver
dollar in PF-62 (this coin) with 8 higher, a number
obviously inflated by resubmissions.