1856 Silver Dollar - 1856 Seated $1 NGC PF60. This eye-appealing, toned, Proof 1856 Silver Dollar is well struck, as expected for a proof coin. Full details are present in the centers of the stars, on Libertys head, the feathers of the eagle, and the dentils on both sides of the coin. Smoldering mint luster within its devices adds to the excellent look of this rare piece. Aside from a mark on Libertys cheek and a small mark under the eagles head, both easily tolerated at this grade level, the coin is original and free of significant contact marks. No hairlines are visible without the aid of magnification on the lovely tan, bronze, gray, and gold surfaces.

Designed by Christian Gobrecht, the Liberty seated motif shows Liberty seated looking over her shoulder to the left. She balances the Union Shield inscribed LIBERTY with her right hand and holds a staff on which is placed a Phrygian cap in her left. There are seven stars to the left and six to the right interrupted by her head and the capped pole. The date is below. The reverse shows the heraldic eagle looking left. It is surrounded by the required inscription and the denomination written as ONE DOL. below. Dentils are around the periphery of both sides of the coin. This design was modified by Robert Ball Hughes. He made the rock on which Liberty is seated smaller, fattened her arms, flattened out her feminine contours, and covered up most of her skin by having her carry a cloak over her elbow. The reverse design was taken from John Reichs Capped Bust half dollars, which Cornelius Vermeule called the sandwich-board eagle.

Gobrecht became the third Chief Engraver at the United States Mint. He was born in Hanover, Pennsylvania in 1785. His father was a German immigrant, and his mother traced her ancestry to the early settlers of Plymouth, Massachusetts. Gobrecht married Mary Hewes in 1818. One of his early positions was as an engraver of clocks in Baltimore. Later he went to Philadelphia where he became a banknote engraver. He invented a machine that allowed one to convert a three-dimensional medal into an illustration. In 1826 Gobrecht did his first work for the Mint as an assistant to William Kneass. After Kneass suffered a debilitating stroke, Gobrecht did all the die and pattern work for the Mint. He became Chief Engraver in 1840 and served until his death in 1844. He was famous for his Liberty Seated motif, which was used for all denominations of silver coinage including the half-dime, dime, quarter dollar, half dollar and silver dollar. He also designed the Liberty Head gold eagle, a motif that was also used on the half-cent, the cent, the gold quarter eagle, and the gold half eagle. 

Robert Ball Hughes modified Gobrechts design. He made it flatter and added more drapery so that the coins would strike up better. The Mint Director, Robert Patterson, said that these changes were made to improve striking quality. However, the results belie that claim. Most dollars of 1840-1865 are flat and unevenly struck with weakness in various parts of the design.

The 1856 proof silver dollar had an original mintage of 40 to 60 pieces, making it rare in all grades. In its population report, NGC shows 1, the present coin, in PF60. PCGS has none certified in PR60 condition.