1846 Silver Dollar NGC PF62. The 1846 silver dollar proofs had an estimated mintage of 20 to 25 pieces struck for collectors at the time. In his Silver Dollar Encyclopedia, Bowers suggests that as much as 40 pieces might have been struck, but this number definitely is on the high side. As coin collecting was not yet popular, only a few coin collectors bought the specially produced proofs at the Philadelphia Mint. The actual number released could be much lower. Whatever the mintage was, approximately 12-14 1846 silver dollars still exist in all grades.

Collecting the early seated proofs has never been popular due to the excessive rarity of these pieces. Some are widely publicized, like the 1851 and 1852 silver dollars which were had very small circulation strike mintages and were later restruck in proof format. Others have not attracted much attention in numismatic literature. This keeps prices relatively low, and provides a real challengeif you want a real one of course. Pieces only come occasionally on the market, but when they do they do not always attract as much attention as they deserve.

The present piece is an original survivor of the very small mintage. Darkly toned, colors ranging from dark gray to vivid blue are seen on the mirrored surfaces. A very strong strike, expected for a proof, is seen on both sides. Unfortunately, the coin experienced some rough handling that limits the grade. However, with the rarity of this piece and the frequency these come available this will not be an obstacle for the serious collector. NGC has graded only 1 1846 silver dollar in PF-62 (this coin) with 8 higher, a number obviously inflated by resubmissions.