$1 · Silver · Circulating
United States Trade Dollar
A heavier silver dollar created for commerce in East Asia, with later proof-only dates and a significant counterfeit-detection burden.
- Designer
- William Barber
- Classic dates
- 1873–1885; circulation production through 1878
- Mint facilities
- Philadelphia, Carson City, and San Francisco
01 · Overview
Why the United States Trade Dollar matters
Authorized by the Coinage Act of 1873, the Trade dollar was designed for international commerce and contains more silver than the standard Seated Liberty dollar. Regular issues ran through 1878, followed by proofs through 1885.
The series requires careful authentication. Genuine circulation in Asia produced historically meaningful chopmarks, while widespread counterfeits make weight, diameter, edge, die diagnostics, and expert certification especially important.
02 · Design
Reading the design
Liberty facing the Pacific
William Barber's seated Liberty extends a trade branch toward the sea. Head, hand, breast, bale, and field are principal focal areas.
Weight and fineness stated
The reverse states 420 GRAINS and 900 FINE around the eagle, reflecting the coin's commercial purpose.
03 · Specifications
Nominal issue specifications
- Denomination
- $1
- Composition
- 90% silver, 10% copper
- Nominal weight
- 27.22 g
- Diameter
- 38.1 mm
- Edge
- Reeded
- Series dates
- 1873–1885; circulation production through 1878
Nominal specifications describe regular classic issues. Patterns, proofs, special strikes, production tolerances, and later commemorative or modern versions may differ.
04 · Grading population
How many have been certified at each grade
No static census copied here. Full grade-by-grade counts change and are not republished without the exact issue, service, strike, designation, source, and as-of date. Use the official tools below; verified figures for an individual Nucoins coin appear on that coin's listing.
Population reports count submissions certified by a grading service. They do not count every surviving coin, and a series-wide total is not a substitute for the exact date, mint, variety, strike, designation, and grade. Nucoins listings show the population in the listed grade and the number graded higher when those figures have been checked against an official report.
- Population in grade
- Coins recorded by that service for the exact issue and assigned grade.
- Higher / finer
- Coins recorded by the same service in numerically higher applicable grades.
- Report date
- The date the figure was checked; counts can change after submissions, resubmissions, and database updates.
05 · Issue map
The series in stages
01 · 1873–1878
Commercial circulation strikes
Philadelphia, Carson City, and San Francisco issues circulated internationally and include recognized hub combinations.
02 · 1879–1883
Proof-only continuation
Collector proofs continued after regular production ended.
03 · 1884–1885
Restricted issues
Extremely rare clandestine pieces sit outside a normal date-set pathway.
Notable issue checkpoints
Production figures describe coins struck, not coins surviving or certified. Linked issue records provide the context for each figure.
06 · Examination
What photographs should help you examine
Obverse
Liberty, hand, and bale
Inspect high points and fields while recording chopmarks rather than treating them as ordinary contact.
Reverse
Eagle and hub type
Confirm lettering, berry and claw relationships, mintmark, and reverse hub.
Edge / holder
Weight and authenticity
Verify 27.20 g nominal weight, 38.1 mm diameter, reeded edge, and certification.
07 · Before buying
Questions the listing should answer
01
Date and mint are only the beginning
A mintage figure records production, not the number surviving in a particular grade. Distribution, melting, storage, bag handling, and later collector demand all affect availability. Compare the complete issue and condition before drawing conclusions from mintage alone.
02
Surface quality can separate coins in the same grade
Two coins with the same assigned grade can differ in luster, strike, marks, toning, and overall visual balance. Review the focal areas and protected fields appropriate to the design rather than treating the grade number as a complete description.
03
Verify attribution before paying for it
Mint mark, recognized variety, special finish, and holder designation should agree with the coin and its certification record. Do not assume that an undocumented nickname or seller description establishes a variety.
08 · Sources
Primary references
This guide is educational and intentionally type-level. Issue-specific attribution, mintage, certification, and condition should be verified for the individual coin.