Set Description:
There are few coins more enigmatic than Prooflike coins. Compared to normal business strikes, these gorgeous coins are exceedingly rare. While there is much hype about “first strikes” on many modern mint products, prooflike coins truly are the first strikes. These mirrored coins represent the first couple of strikes of bright, fresh dies (which are often highly polished when new). Thus, prooflikes often are incredibly detailed, with sharp, crisp features.
It only takes a few strikes to eliminate the bright mirrors (out of the tens, or even hundreds of thousands of strikes that a die produces in its life). The percentage of prooflikes is tremendously low – and makes these beautiful coins very rare. The Morgan dollar seems to be the one exception to this rule – prooflike Morgan dollars are common and easy to find. Indeed, PCGS does not designate prooflike on any other series, just the Morgan. Fortunately for me, NGC designates PL on all US series.
Using the NGC Census reports to gauge the rarity of Prooflikes, many series have tens of thousands of regular business strikes certified (over the entire span of the series), but will only have a hundred prooflikes graded (on the more common series!). They are hard to find!
And thus, always ready for a challenge, I am going to attempt to assemble a type set of prooflike coins. I think this is a really cool idea, and you can join me on this journey. My first prooflike was my Franklin, and that coin sparked this interest in me.
As always, I am going to attempt to write full descriptions, with plenty of detailed info, about each coin. Many better authors than I have written about the type set (better authors than I), so I will be focusing specifically on the prooflike aspects of the collection. I hope you enjoy!
Special thanks to my friend Bob Campbell for taking many of these excellent pictures.
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| 1/2C DRAPED BUST (1800-1808) |
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No Coin
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| 1/2C CLASSIC HEAD (1809-1835) |
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No Coin
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| 1/2C CORONET (1849-1857) |
MS 65 BN PL
| NGC |
2548621-001
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1542
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| 1C DRAPED BUST (1800-1807) |
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No Coin
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| 1C CLASSIC HEAD (1808-1814) |
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No Coin
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| 1C CORONET (1816-1839) |
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No Coin
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| 1C CORONET (1840-1857) |
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No Coin
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| 1C FLYING EAGLE (1856-1858) |
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No Coin
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| 1C INDIAN HEAD, LAUREL WREATH (1859) |
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No Coin
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| 1C INDIAN HEAD, OAK WREATH (1860-1864) |
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No Coin
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| 1C INDIAN HEAD, BRONZE (1864-1909) |
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No Coin
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| 1C LINCOLN, WHEAT REVERSE (1909 V.D.B.) |
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No Coin
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| 1C LINCOLN, WHEAT REVERSE (1909-1958) |
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No Coin
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| 1C LINCOLN, STEEL (1943) |
MS 67
| PCGS |
03767153
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304
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| 1C LINCOLN, MEMORIAL REVERSE (1959-1998) |
MS 67 RDP
| NGC |
2509622-029
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127
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| 2C SHIELD (1864-1873) |
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No Coin
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| 3C SILVER, ALL TYPES (1851-1873) |
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No Coin
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| 3C COPPER-NICKEL (1865-1889) |
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No Coin
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| H10C CAPPED BUST (1829-1837) |
MS 64 PL
| NGC |
3020686-003
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1639
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| H10C SEATED LIBERTY, NO STARS (1837-1859) |
MS 64 PL
| NGC |
454260-001
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1103
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| H10C SEATED LIBERTY, WITH ARROWS (1853-1855) |
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No Coin
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| H10C SEATED LIBERTY, LEGEND OBVERSE (1860-1873) |
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No Coin
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| 5C SHIELD, WITH RAYS (1866-1867) |
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No Coin
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| 5C SHIELD, NO RAYS (1867-1883) |
MS 65 PL
| NGC |
1995869-004
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1311
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| 5C LIBERTY HEAD, NO CENTS (1883) |
MS 65 PL
| NGC |
3171838-013
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642
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| 5C LIBERTY HEAD, WITH CENTS (1883-1912) |
MS 64 PL
| NGC |
3217486-002
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515
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| 5C INDIAN HEAD/BUFFALO, TYPE 1 (1913) |
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No Coin
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| 5C INDIAN HEAD/BUFFALO, TYPE 2 (1913-1938) |
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No Coin
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| 5C JEFFERSON, COPPER-NICKEL (1938-DATE) |
MS 65 5PL
| NGC |
3201059-002
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9
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| 5C JEFFERSON, SILVER (1942-1945) |
MS 66
| NGC |
1798769-001
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27
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| 10C CAPPED BUST, SMALL SIZE (1828-1837) |
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No Coin
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| 10C SEATED LIBERTY, STARS (1838-1860) |
MS 64 PL
| NGC |
3403873-013
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1595
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| 10C SEATED LIBERTY, WITH ARROWS (1853-1855) |
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No Coin
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| 10C SEATED LIBERTY, LEGEND OBVERSE (1860-1891) |
MS 66 PL
| NGC |
3413186-002
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1799
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| 10C BARBER LIBERTY HEAD (1892-1916) |
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No Coin
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| 10C MERCURY (1916-1945) |
MS 67 FB PL
| NGC |
389512-001
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336
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| 10C ROOSEVELT, SILVER (1946-1964) |
MS 66 PL
| NGC |
1925217-025
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28
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| 10C ROOSEVELT, CLAD (1965-DATE) |
MS 68 PL
| NGC |
1904041-027
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505
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| 10C ROOSEVELT, SILVER (1992-DATE) |
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No Coin
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| 20C SEATED LIBERTY (1875-1878) |
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No Coin
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| 25C CAPPED BUST, SMALL SIZE (1831-1838) |
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No Coin
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| 25C SEATED LIBERTY, NO MOTTO (1838-1865) |
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No Coin
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| 25C SEATED LIBERTY, WITH ARROWS (1853-1855) |
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No Coin
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| 25C SEATED LIBERTY, WITH MOTTO (1866-1891) |
MS 64 DPL
| NGC |
654987-005
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1678
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| 25C BARBER LIBERTY HEAD (1892-1916) |
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No Coin
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| 25C STANDING LIBERTY, TYPE 1 (1916-1917) |
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No Coin
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| 25C STANDING LIBERTY, TYPE 2 (1917-1930) |
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No Coin
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| 25C WASHINGTON, SILVER (1932-1964) |
MS 65 PL
| NGC |
2550060-001
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774
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| 25C WASHINGTON, CLAD (1965-1998) |
MS 67 PL
| NGC |
2170880-045
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1507
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| 25C BICENTENNIAL (1976) |
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No Coin
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| 25C WASHINGTON SILVER (1992-1998) |
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No Coin
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| 25C STATEHOOD, DC & US TERRITORIES (1999-2009) |
MS 67 PL
| NGC |
1989310-020
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111
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| 25C AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL (2010-) |
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No Coin
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| 50C CAPPED BUST, LETTERED EDGE (1807-1836) |
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No Coin
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| 50C CAPPED BUST, REEDED, 50 CENTS (1836-1839) |
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No Coin
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| 50C SEATED LIBERTY, NO MOTTO (1839-1866) |
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No Coin
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| 50C SEATED LIBERTY, WITH ARROWS (1853-1855) |
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No Coin
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| 50C SEATED LIBERTY, WITH MOTTO (1866-1891) |
MS 64 PL
| NGC |
1777890-011
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1515
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| 50C BARBER LIBERTY HEAD (1892-1915) |
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No Coin
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| 50C WALKING LIBERTY (1916-1947) |
MS 65
| NGC |
3399713-002
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535
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| 50C FRANKLIN (1948-1963) |
MS 65 FBL PL
| NGC |
3312593-006
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1329
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| 50C KENNEDY, SILVER (1964) |
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No Coin
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| 50C KENNEDY, CLAD (1965-DATE) |
MS 65 DPL
| NGC |
2521860-007
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59
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| 50C KENNEDY BICENTENNIAL (1976) |
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No Coin
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| 50C KENNEDY, SILVER (1992-DATE) |
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No Coin
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| S$1 SEATED LIBERTY, NO MOTTO (1840-1865) |
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No Coin
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| S$1 SEATED LIBERTY, WITH MOTTO (1866-1873) |
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No Coin
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| T$1 TRADE (1873-1885) |
MS 63 PL
| NGC |
1711897-011
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1687
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| S$1 MORGAN LIBERTY HEAD (1878-1921) |
MS 65 PL
| NGC |
429947-001
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684
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| S$1 PEACE LIBERTY HEAD (1921-1935) |
MS 63
| NGC |
3489771-001
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194
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| $1 EISENHOWER, CLAD (1971-1978) |
MS 66
| NGC |
2547227-014
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502
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| $1 EISENHOWER BICENTENNIAL (1976 ) |
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No Coin
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| $1 SUSAN B. ANTHONY (1979-1999) |
MS 66 PL
| NGC |
4005816-010
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72
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| $1 SACAGAWEA (2000-DATE) |
MS 66 DPL
| NGC |
3085607-001
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98
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| $1 PRESIDENTIAL (2007-DATE) |
MS 65 PL
| NGC |
3048839-029
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76
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| S$1 COMMEMORATIVE (1983-DATE) |
MS 69 PL
| NGC |
2548620-005
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111
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| S$1 AMERICAN EAGLE (1986-DATE) |
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No Coin
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| G$1 LIBERTY HEAD TYPE 1 (1849-1854) |
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No Coin
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| G$1 INDIAN HEAD TYPE 2 (1854-1856) |
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No Coin
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| G$1 INDIAN HEAD TYPE 3 (1856-1889) |
MS 65 PL
| NGC |
3215167-005
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2948
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| $2.5 LIBERTY HEAD (1840-1907) |
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No Coin
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| $2.5 INDIAN HEAD (1908-1929) |
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No Coin
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| $5 LIBERTY HEAD (1839-1908) |
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No Coin
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| $5 INDIAN HEAD (1908-1929) |
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No Coin
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| $10 LIBERTY HEAD (1838-1907) |
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No Coin
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| $10 INDIAN HEAD (1907-1933) |
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No Coin
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| $20 LIBERTY HEAD (1850-1907) |
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No Coin
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| $20 SAINT-GAUDENS (1907-1932) |
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No Coin
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All Coins/Scores
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