Jack's Silver-only One-per-mint Dollars
T$1 TRADE (1873-85)

Owner Comments:

The San Francisco mint was opened in 1854 to turn the gold from the mines of the California Gold Rush into US currency and it was well positioned to handle the silver from the Comstock Load, discovered in 1859. Seated Liberty silver dollars were struck here in great quantities, contributing to a glut of silver dollars and raising their monetary value well above their silver content. Congress halted the production of silver dollars in 1873 but allowed the issue of the Trade Dollar for foreign exchange, particularly with China. The Trade Dollar failed to live up to expectations and production, except for proofs, was ended in 1878. My example is from the last year of regular issue.