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. For many dies, after a hundred or less strikes the mirrors are faded to the point that the coin no longer qualifies for prooflike status - 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. While the the Morgan dollar seems to be the one exception to this rule – prooflike Morgan dollars are common and easy to find – that is more because so many Morgans have survived in high grades.. 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 (or more) of regular business strikes certified (over the entire span of the series), but will only have a hundred (or less) 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, so I will be focusing specifically on the prooflike aspects of the collection. I hope you enjoy!
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| 1/2C DRAPED BUST (1800-1808) |
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| 1/2C CLASSIC HEAD (1809-1835) |
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View Coin
| 1/2C CORONET (1849-1857) |
MS 65 BN PL
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1542
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| 11/11/2012 |
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| 1C DRAPED BUST (1796-1807) |
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| 1C CLASSIC HEAD (1808-1814) |
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| 1C CORONET (1816-1839) |
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| 1C CORONET (1840-1857) |
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View Coin
| 1C FLYING EAGLE (1856-1858) |
MS 64 PL
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2240
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| 3/26/2016 |
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| 1C INDIAN HEAD, LAUREL WREATH (1859) |
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| 1C INDIAN HEAD, OAK WREATH (1860-1864) |
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View Coin
| 1C INDIAN HEAD, BRONZE (1864-1909) |
MS 65 RD
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2303
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| 3/26/2016 |
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| 1C LINCOLN, WHEAT REVERSE (1909 V.D.B.) |
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| 1C LINCOLN, WHEAT REVERSE (1909-1958) |
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View Coin
| 1C LINCOLN, STEEL (1943) |
MS 67
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395
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| 12/9/2013 |
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View Coin
| 1C LINCOLN, MEMORIAL REVERSE (1959-2008) |
MS 68 RDP
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209
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| 3/26/2017 |
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| 2C SHIELD (1864-1873) |
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View Coin
| 3C SILVER, ALL TYPES (1851-1873) |
MS 67 PL
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4022
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| 3/26/2016 |
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| 3C COPPER-NICKEL (1865-1889) |
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View Coin
| H10C CAPPED BUST (1829-1837) |
MS 64 PL
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1639
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| 11/11/2012 |
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View Coin
| H10C SEATED LIBERTY, NO STARS (1837-1859) |
MS 64 PL
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1103
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| 11/11/2012 |
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| H10C SEATED LIBERTY, WITH ARROWS (1853-1855) |
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| H10C SEATED LIBERTY, LEGEND OBVERSE (1860-1873) |
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View Coin
| 5C SHIELD, WITH RAYS (1866-1867) |
MS 65 PL
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3176
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| 12/23/2013 |
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View Coin
| 5C SHIELD, NO RAYS (1867-1883) |
MS 65 PL
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1311
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| 12/9/2013 |
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View Coin
| 5C LIBERTY HEAD, NO CENTS (1883) |
MS 65 PL
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642
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| 11/11/2012 |
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View Coin
| 5C LIBERTY HEAD, WITH CENTS (1883-1912) |
MS 64 PL
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515
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| 11/11/2012 |
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| 5C INDIAN HEAD/BUFFALO, TYPE 1 (1913) |
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| 5C INDIAN HEAD/BUFFALO, TYPE 2 (1913-1938) |
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View Coin
| 5C JEFFERSON, COPPER-NICKEL (1938-DATE) |
MS 65 6FS DPL
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507
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| 11/24/2017 |
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View Coin
| 5C JEFFERSON, SILVER (1942-1945) |
MS 66 PL
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127
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| 3/26/2016 |
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| 10C CAPPED BUST, SMALL SIZE (1828-1837) |
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View Coin
| 10C SEATED LIBERTY, STARS (1838-1860) |
MS 64 PL
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1595
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| 11/11/2012 |
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| 10C SEATED LIBERTY, WITH ARROWS (1853-1855) |
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View Coin
| 10C SEATED LIBERTY, LEGEND OBVERSE (1860-1891) |
MS 66 PL
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1799
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| 11/11/2012 |
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View Coin
| 10C BARBER LIBERTY HEAD (1892-1916) |
MS 63 PL
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1345
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| 7/28/2016 |
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View Coin
| 10C MERCURY (1916-1945) |
MS 67 FB PL
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351
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| 8/10/2016 |
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View Coin
| 10C ROOSEVELT, SILVER (1946-1964) |
MS 66 PL
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54
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| 3/26/2016 |
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View Coin
| 10C ROOSEVELT, CLAD (1965-DATE) |
MS 68 PL
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587
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| 12/28/2016 |
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| 10C ROOSEVELT, SILVER (1992-DATE) |
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| 20C SEATED LIBERTY (1875-1878) |
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| 25C CAPPED BUST, SMALL SIZE (1831-1838) |
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| 25C SEATED LIBERTY, NO MOTTO (1838-1865) |
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| 25C SEATED LIBERTY, WITH ARROWS (1853-1855) |
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View Coin
| 25C SEATED LIBERTY, WITH MOTTO (1866-1891) |
MS 64 DPL
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1678
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| 12/9/2013 |
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View Coin
| 25C BARBER LIBERTY HEAD (1892-1916) |
MS 64 PL
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1345
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| 3/26/2016 |
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| 25C STANDING LIBERTY, TYPE 1 (1916-1917) |
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| 25C STANDING LIBERTY, TYPE 2 (1917-1930) |
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View Coin
| 25C WASHINGTON, SILVER (1932-1964) |
MS 65 PL
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774
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| 4/1/2013 |
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View Coin
| 25C WASHINGTON, CLAD (1965-1998) |
MS 67 PL
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366
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| 12/19/2013 |
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| 25C BICENTENNIAL (1976) |
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| 25C WASHINGTON SILVER (1992-1998) |
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View Coin
| 25C STATEHOOD, DC & US TERRITORIES (1999-2009) |
MS 68 PL
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461
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| 12/27/2016 |
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View Coin
| 25C AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL (2010-) |
MS 67 PL
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151
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| 11/27/2017 |
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View Coin
| 50C CAPPED BUST, LETTERED EDGE (1807-1836) |
MS 63 PL
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2489
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| 3/26/2016 |
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| 50C CAPPED BUST, REEDED, 50 CENTS (1836-1839) |
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| 50C SEATED LIBERTY, NO MOTTO (1839-1866) |
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| 50C SEATED LIBERTY, WITH ARROWS (1853-1855) |
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View Coin
| 50C SEATED LIBERTY, WITH MOTTO (1866-1891) |
MS 64 PL
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3185
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| 7/3/2013 |
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View Coin
| 50C BARBER LIBERTY HEAD (1892-1915) |
MS 64 PL
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1708
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| 12/9/2013 |
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View Coin
| 50C WALKING LIBERTY (1916-1947) |
MS 65
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599
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| 7/8/2013 |
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View Coin
| 50C FRANKLIN (1948-1963) |
MS 65 FBL PL
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1330
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| 3/26/2017 |
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View Coin
| 50C KENNEDY, SILVER (1964) |
MS 64
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97
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| 3/26/2016 |
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View Coin
| 50C KENNEDY, CLAD (1965-DATE) |
MS 65 DPL
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98
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| 3/26/2016 |
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| 50C KENNEDY BICENTENNIAL (1976) |
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| 50C KENNEDY, SILVER (1992-DATE) |
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| S$1 SEATED LIBERTY, NO MOTTO (1840-1865) |
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| S$1 SEATED LIBERTY, WITH MOTTO (1866-1873) |
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View Coin
| T$1 TRADE (1873-1885) |
MS 63 PL
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1687
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| 3/26/2016 |
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View Coin
| S$1 MORGAN LIBERTY HEAD (1878-1921) |
MS 65 DPL
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1272
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| 3/26/2016 |
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View Coin
| S$1 PEACE LIBERTY HEAD (1921-1935) |
MS 63
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194
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| 11/11/2012 |
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| $1 EISENHOWER, CLAD (1971-1978) |
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View Coin
| $1 EISENHOWER, SILVER (1971-1974) |
MS 66
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135
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| 3/26/2016 |
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| $1 EISENHOWER BICENTENNIAL (1976 ) |
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View Coin
| $1 SUSAN B. ANTHONY (1979-1999) |
MS 66 PL
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123
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| 7/15/2016 |
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View Coin
| $1 SACAGAWEA (2000-DATE) |
MS 68 PL
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351
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| 3/26/2016 |
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View Coin
| $1 PRESIDENTIAL (2007-DATE) |
MS 67 PL
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320
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| 7/15/2016 |
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View Coin
| S$1/50C COMMEMORATIVE (1982-DATE) |
MS 69 PL
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111
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| 5/30/2012 |
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| S$1 AMERICAN EAGLE (1986-DATE) |
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| G$1 LIBERTY HEAD TYPE 1 (1849-1854) |
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| G$1 INDIAN HEAD TYPE 2 (1854-1856) |
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View Coin
| G$1 INDIAN HEAD TYPE 3 (1856-1889) |
MS 65 PL
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2948
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| 5/30/2012 |
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View Coin
| $2.5 LIBERTY HEAD (1840-1907) |
MS 64
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1303
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| 11/24/2017 |
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| $2.5 INDIAN HEAD (1908-1929) |
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View Coin
| $5 LIBERTY HEAD (1839-1908) |
MS 64 PL
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4565
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| 11/24/2017 |
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| $5 INDIAN HEAD (1908-1929) |
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| $10 LIBERTY HEAD (1838-1907) |
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| $10 INDIAN HEAD (1907-1933) |
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View Coin
| $20 LIBERTY HEAD (1850-1907) |
MS 64 PL
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2910
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| 5/16/2016 |
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| $20 SAINT-GAUDENS (1907-1932) |
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