1873 Dollar Patterns

About This Coin

Commanding the highest auction prices among standard denominations in the Trade Dollar Era Patterns (1871-1873), the 1873 Dollar Patterns showcase William Barber's design for the silver dollar at the Philadelphia Mint. The obverse features the seated Liberty facing left with olive branch and wheat sheaf — proposing replacement of the long-running Seated Liberty dollar with a modern interpretation suited to post-Civil War ambitions. The reverse displays an eagle perched on a bale of goods with olive branch and three arrows, emphasizing commercial themes central to an era when expanding Pacific trade was reshaping monetary policy. An extraordinary auction result of $102K in PR63 grade at Heritage Auctions — by far the highest in the series — reflects the silver dollar's outsized significance in American numismatic culture. The 1873 dollar patterns also carry the weight of the Coinage Act of 1873, which discontinued the standard silver dollar and introduced the trade dollar for Pacific commerce, making these patterns artifacts of the moment when the silver dollar's future hung in the balance of congressional debate.