1873-1885 Trade Silver Dollar

Coin specifications and design

Years made: 1873-1885

Country: United States

Denomination: One trade dollar

Category: Circulating / trade coin

Composition: 90% silver, 10% copper

Silver fineness: 90%

Silver weight: 0.7874 oz ASW

Weight: 27.22 g

Diameter: 38.1 mm

Thickness: Approx. 2.5 mm

Edge: Reeded

Designer: William Barber

Design identification

The obverse shows Liberty seated on a bale of goods, extending an olive branch toward the sea, a direct reference to overseas commerce. The reverse features an eagle with the inscriptions 420 GRAINS and 900 FINE, making the coin’s silver standard explicit. Those weight and fineness inscriptions are the easiest way to distinguish a Trade dollar from a Liberty Seated dollar. Genuine examples also have a reeded edge and the denomination TRADE DOLLAR on the reverse.

Trade Silver Dollar history

The Trade dollar was authorized in 1873 to compete with large silver coins already accepted in commerce in East Asia. Its heavier silver content distinguished it from the older standard silver dollar and made it better suited for international trade. Most business strikes were produced from 1873 through 1878, after which the denomination continued mainly as proofs for collectors. The rare 1884 and 1885 issues were not publicly known for many years and are among the great rarities of the series.