154
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Dollars
R
ARE
M
INT
S
TATE
1845 S
EATED
D
OLLAR
920
1845
.
NGC graded MS-62
. Nicely toned. Repeating the low-mintage Silver Dollar production begun in 1844, the 1845 has an original mint-
age of just 24,500 pieces. The latter issue is very popular among collectors and rightly so, since the realization among most collectors that
they often need to acquire circulated examples even though a Mint State is what is really desired, is more pronounced for the 1845. Writing
in 1993, Q. David Bowers describes the 1845 in Mint State as "the rarest of all Liberty Seated Dollars of the 1840s." The elusive nature of this
issue in Uncirculated condition is such that both the definitive Seated Dollar sets offered in the Richmond Collection (David Lawrence, 2004)
and Morris Silverman Collection Heritage, 2002) had examples that graded only MS60.
As one of the few Select 1845 Seated Dollar that we have ever offered, it is at the center of the useful “Condition Census” hierarchy for this
issue. The surfaces really cannot get any more original in their light silver gray color. A few highpoints of the reverse eagle are a little softly
defined (neck feathers and left wing), but we stress that the overall impression is notably sharp for the year and Type. Mint luster is softly
frosted and suitably complete, while there are even hints of very modest brightness evident in the obverse field at certain angles. Just a few
scattered, generally widely-distributed abrasions are all that seem to bar this important condition rarity from an even choicer grade.
Pop 5; 4
finer, 3 in 63, 1 in 64
.
The Year 1845 in History, from the Bowers encyclopedia of Silver Dollars: "In 1845, Florida joined the Union on March 3rd as the 27th state,
and on December 29th the erstwhile Republic of Texas (established in 1836) became the 28th. The border dispute with England over the def-
inition of the line between Oregon and the British lands continued to make the news. Oregon belonged to the United States "by right of our
manifest destiny to overspread the continent allotted by Providence for the free development of our yearly multiplying millions," editor John L.
O'Sullivan proclaimed in the July-August issue of United States Magazine and Democratic Review. In his annual message to Congress, Presi-
dent James Knox Polk decreed that we had the proper claim to the border at 54 degrees, 40 minutes and that this right was beyond question,
giving rise to the cry, "Fifty-four forty or fight!" The city of Portland was established in Oregon Territory and was named after a city in Maine
when two people from New England flipped a large cent to choose between Portland and Boston. To the south, relations with Mexico wors-
ened, but there was no intention of going to war about it."
Estimated Value ........................................................................................................................................................... $12,000 - 13,000
921
1845
.
NGC graded AU-55
. Lovely natural toning. Only
24,500 struck of this elusive, low mintage issue. Few silver dol-
lars were made in the 1840s, and then mintage bounced all
over the place. The merchants and bankers who deposited
metal with the Mint generally asked for half dollars instead of
one-dollar coins. And so the Mint obliged. Highly prized in this
outstanding state of preservation.
Pop 367; 47 finer at NGC.
Estimated Value ..............................................$2,000 - 2,100
922
1846
.
NGC graded AU-53
. Mostly untoned, we see luster evi-
dent around the devices and withini the stars and letters.
Estimated Value ................................................... $800 - 850
923
1847 and 1872 Liberty Seated Dollars. Both cleaned and
damaged
. Lot of 2 coins.
Estimated Value ................................................... $150 - 200
