1879 T$1 PR68 Cameo NGC. CAC....

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Incredible PR68 Cameo 1879 Trade Dollar

1879 T$1 PR68 Cameo NGC. CAC. The year 1879 would see the deaths of two important figures in U.S. Mint history. Former Mint Director Henry Richard Linderman, who had resigned in December 1878 and was the subject of a congressional inquiry accusing him of official misconduct, died on January 27 at age 53, with a cloud of suspicion hanging over him. Linderman was an avid numismatist who could not resist the temptation to have unusual Mint delicacies made for his own delight and profit. Chief engraver William Barber would pass away on August 31, after a vacation at the beach.
Linderman's successor, Horatio Burchard, took more than three months before he announced the appointment of the disliked Charles Barber, William's son, to fill the post. The Trade dollar denomination was obsoleted by the Morgan dollar, introduced in 1878. Treasury Secretary John T. Sherman was a bitter foe of the denomination, ending it (for circulation purposes) with the stroke of a pen on February 22, 1878. The Trade dollar issues from 1879 through 1883 were proof-only affairs. (The 1884 and 1885 Trade dollars were pieces de caprice that may have been struck later.) The 1879 leads off the string of series-ending proofs, produced to the extent of only 1,541 pieces.
Since the Trade dollar series had ended for circulation, savvy collectors held on to their low-mintage proof examples. But one has to wonder why the proof Trade dollars were issued for public consumption for a period of five years inclusive, from 1879 through 1883. Perhaps they were made as a numismatic smokescreen to keep the public eye away from even more elusive fare, including the controversial pattern stellas produced in gold and other metals, and the lovely "Schoolgirl" silver dollar patterns, also dated 1879 and designed by George T. Morgan, the assistant engraver at the Mint.
This marvelous 1879 Trade dollar is among the highest-graded proofs of the entire issue regardless of date. The fields are absolutely pristine and brilliant, with no trace of toning. The strike is full throughout, and the deeply mirrored fields engender dramatic contrast with the frosty devices. The eye appeal is simply outstanding on this unimprovable specimen. Census: 7 in 68 Cameo, 0 finer (10/10).(Registry values: N7079)

Coin Index Numbers: (NGC ID# 27YR, PCGS# 87059, Greysheet# 7408)

Weight: 27.22 grams

Metal: 90% Silver, 10% Copper

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