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1885 Proof Only Trade Dollar value guide -- only 5 known, a real $3.3 million auction record.
5 struck — against the other key dates in the Trade Dollar series.
Bars are scaled to keep the smallest mintages visible; the exact figure is printed on every row. Mintage is coins struck, not coins surviving — melting and circulation wear thin those numbers further.
Only 5 examples of the 1885 Trade Dollar are known to exist, and none were known to the public until the first one surfaced at a 1913 auction (the Granberg specimen), selling then for just $1,140.
One of the single rarest and most valuable coins in all of American numismatics -- the Atwater specimen realized $3.3 million at Heritage Auction Galleries in 2006.
Other dates and varieties in this series
What to check before you pay, specific to this date and its 5-coin mintage.
Two examples of this date can be worth very different amounts depending on wear. Work out where an example sits on the range above before deciding whether its asking price is fair, and ask the seller for more photos if the wear points aren't clear.
Grading fees would eat much of what this coin is worth, so raw examples are normal here and nothing to be wary of. Judge it on clear photos of both sides and the seller's track record instead.
Every Trade Dollar listed here is priced by an individual seller, so the same coin in the same grade can differ by a wide margin on any given day. Sort by price, check Metal Points and order history for a sense of the seller's record, and message them if the photos don't show enough to grade confidently.
About the 1885 Proof Only Trade Dollar
A typical circulated example brings around —, with uncirculated examples ranging from — to —.
Only 5 examples of the 1885 Trade Dollar are known to exist, and none were known to the public until the first one surfaced at a 1913 auction (the Granberg specimen), selling then for just $1,140.
For anything you believe is a key date or an error, professional grading protects both buyer and seller by settling condition and authenticity before money changes hands.
The rest of the series, with what each is worth at the top of the grade scale.
List it free on PeerMetals — flat 2.75% seller fee, zero listing fees, 1–3 day payouts.
