1869 Seated $1 (1869 Seated Silver Dollar) NGC PF63 CAC. This Liberty Seated proof 1869 Sliver Dollar has significant cameo contrast on both sides and could have been designated PFCA by the grading service. The devices are light violet, satiny, and lustrous and the fields are dark and hard. Of course the strike is full and sharp as expected for a proof coin. The centers of the stars and the feathers of the eagle are all bold. Not a trace of wear can be found anywhere on the coin, in keeping with the grade, which is confirmed by the CAC sticker. Its presence also indicates a coin of premium quality that meets stringent standards.

Christian Gobrecht designed the coin. His first work for the United States Mint was in 1826 when he made dies as an assistant to Kneass. When Kneass was unable to continue working because of a stroke, Gobrecht did all the die and pattern work. He was Chief Engraver from 1840 until his death in 1844. Famous for his Liberty Seated dollar obverse, which was used for all denominations of silver coinage, he was responsible for also designing the Liberty Head motif that was first used on the gold eagle, and then on the half cent, the cent, and the gold quarter and half eagles. In 1866 James Longacre, pursuant to the Act of March 3, 1865, added the motto IN GOD WE TRUST to a ribbon on the reverse of the coin above the eagle, creating the With Motto type.

There were 600 proofs coined this year from three obverse dies. The three dies have a high date, a low date, and a date a little above center. The present coin is the high date variety. It also shows an incomplete scroll below IN G and ST. They were sold with silver proof sets that included the trime, half dime, dime, quarter, half dollar, and silver dollar.

With only 600 proof struck, the coin is rare in all grades. In its population report as of June 2011, CAC shows 2 at Proof 63 with 3 better.