GEM
QUALITY 1879 PROOF SET Click on Coin Image to
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GEM
QUALITY 1879 PROOF SET PCGS PROOF 64-67
- $33,500.00
Here's something any advanced
dealer, collector, investor, would love to own. Presenting
for you is this incredible Gem quality 1879 Proof
Set PCGS PF64-67. The coins in this outstanding 1879
silver and minor coin proof set range in grade from
PR64 to PR67CAM. They include the Indian Cent, the
Three-Cent Nickel, and the Shield Nickel, all designed
by James B. Longacre; the Seated Dime, the Seated
Quarter, and the Seated Half Dollar, designed by Christian
Gobrecht; the Trade Dollar, designed by William Barber,
and the Morgan Dollar, designed by George T. Morgan.
When was the last time you
saw a complete proof set from the 1800's? And when
was the last time you saw one as incredible as this
one? Please act fast to secure this, whether you are
a collector, an investor or have been looking for
something complete to will to heirs, this 1879 proof
set can obviously not be duplicated. Don't forget,
US Rare Coin Investments can also offer Special financing
or interest free layaway terms. Fantastic 1879 Proof
set!
The Indian Cent is a Gem PR65RB. Since
the cents of this date are often dark red, this one
is probably typical. It is a glossy, uniformly dark
red-brown with no visible surface problems. The color
indicates it originality. It is a well-struck piece
with full details on the ends of the feathers, the
diamonds on the ribbon, the shield, and the leaves
of the wreath.
The Indian Cent’s obverse shows Liberty facing
left in profile wearing a LIBERTY inscribed headdress.
Her hair is combed back and over her ear and flows
down beneath the truncation. A band with four diamonds
is attached to the back of the headdress and comes
over her hair past the truncation. She is surrounded
with the inscription UNITED STATES OF AMERICA with
the date below. The reverse shows the denomination
written as ONE CENT surrounded by an oak wreath with
a Union shield at the top and a ribbon holding the
parts of the wreath and three arrows together below.
Dentils are around the periphery of both sides of
the coin, and the edge is plain.
………………..
The Three-Cent Nickel is a Superb PR67CAM.
Its silvery “white” devices float on much
darker fields creating the cameo effect. The colors
and luster confirm its originality. The piece is well
struck with full details on Liberty’s hair and
the other portrait details as well as the vertical lines
in the Roman III. The dentils on both sides are strong.
The surfaces are pristine with no hairlines or contact
marks.
The Three-Cent Nickel was issued from 1865 to 1889.
The obverse shows a classic profile of Liberty facing
left. She has an elaborate hair arrangement with curls
flowing down her neck. She also wears a LIBERTY inscribed
coronet. The date is below, and she is surrounded with
the inscription UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. The reverse
shows an open olive branch wreath that encloses a Roman
numeral III for the denomination.
………………
The Shield Nickel
is an overdate, and it is the only proof overdate
of the Shield Nickel series. The coin, which is a
Superb PR66, is tan and “white.” The colors
show its originality. Beneath the toning there is
smoldering mint luster. The strike is strong with
full details on the stripes and leaves of the obverse
and the centers of the stars of the reverse.
The Shield Nickel was first introduced in 1866. The
obverse shows a large, ornate shield with a small
cross at the top. Within the top of the shield are
horizontal raised lines. The base contains six vertical
columns made up of closely spaced, raised lines. Two
arrows are below and beneath the shield with only
their arrowheads and feathers visible. Olive branches
hang at the top on either side of the shield. The
motto IN GOD WE TRUST is in an arc at the top of the
obverse, and the date is below. From 1866 to 1867,
the reverse had thirteen six-pointed stars that alternated
with rays in a circle around the numeral 5, the denomination.
From 1867 to 1883, the rays were omitted. The coin
is inscribed UNITED STATES OF AMERICA in an arc at
the top with CENTS at the bottom.
………………
The Liberty Seated Dime is a Superb Gem
proof 67 with lightly toned devices against a darker
background. The “white” devices are toned
with light blue highlights. Against darkly toned fields,
the combination produces a cameo-like effect. The strike
is above average with full details on Liberty’s
head. The surfaces are especially clean with no visible
hairlines, contact marks, or other problems.
The obverse of the Liberty Seated Dime depicts Liberty,
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. The inscription UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
is interrupted by her head and the capped pole. The
date is below. The reverse, designed by James B. Longacre,
shows the denomination written in two words surrounded
by a closed wreath of corn, wheat, maple, and oak. Dentils
are around the periphery of both sides of the coin.
……………….
The Liberty Seated Quarter, a near-Gem
proof 64, is a lovely toned piece with light devices
and darker backgrounds. Original mint luster is seen
within the devices, which are toned light green, blue,
tan, and gold. The clearly original piece also has a
strong strike. There are full details on Liberty’s
head, the centers of the stars, and the elements of
the reverse especially the eagle. The surfaces are clean
for the grade with no individual hairlines or contact
marks worthy of description.
The obverse of the Liberty Seated Quarter depicts Liberty
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 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and the denomination
written as QUAR. DOL. below. Dentils are around the
periphery of both sides of the coin.
……………….
The Liberty Seated proof 66 half dollar
is an eye-appealing Superb Gem. From Liberty’s
mid section to the bottom of the shield, she is bathed
in lustrous white, as if a spotlight were fixed on her.
The white is surrounded by a light tan that fades to
light blue and then darker blue at the periphery. These
colors and toning affirm the coin’s originality.
The strike is strong with full details on Liberty’s
head, the centers of the stars, and the eagle at the
lower left. The surfaces are extremely clean with no
visible hairlines, contact marks, or other distractions.
Like the previous Liberty Seated designs, the half dollar
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 HALF DOL. below. Dentils are around the periphery
of both sides of the coin.
……………….
The Trade Dollar, a lovely Superb Gem
proof 66, shows Liberty sitting with her upper body
bathed in light. The lustrous light toning becomes slightly
darker through her mid-section, and her legs are toned
darker. The bottom quarter of the coin is toned blue-gray,
as if Liberty is sitting while bathing her feet in water.
Darker blue continues at the periphery, but the rest
of the fields are a mixture of tan, brown and gold.
The reverse, which is very appealing, shows the mainly
“white” eagle with light toning at its head.
It is surrounded by fields that are darker at the top
with shade of blue, green, and tan with lighter tan
at the bottom. The toning and colors affirm the coin’s
originality. The surfaces are clean with no visible
hairlines, contact marks, or other problems. The strike
is strong with full details on Liberty’s head,
the centers of the stars, and the feathers of the eagle
particularly its legs.
The obverse of the Trade Dollar shows a female figure
of Liberty holding a LIBERTY inscribed ribbon. She is
seated on a bale of cotton tied with ropes. On another
ribbon at the foot of the bale is the motto IN GOD WE
TRUST. Liberty faces left, perhaps to the Pacific Ocean
or China. She wears a beaded coronet similar to the
one on the double eagle. In her hand, which is extended,
she holds an olive branch, symbol of peace. Behind her
left hand is a sheaf of wheat. Around her are thirteen
stars interrupted by the olive branch and Liberty’
head. They are spaced four, two and seven. The date
is below the motto. The reverse shows an eagle facing
right. In its right talons are three arrows, an error
from the heraldic point of view. The left talons hold
another olive branch. Around the top border is the inscription
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. Below the inscription is a
banner with the motto E PLURIBUS UNUM. Below the olive
branch and arrows is an inscription 420 GRAINS, 900
FINE. Dentils are around the periphery of both sides,
and the edge is reeded.
………………
The Morgan Dollar is a toned Gem proof
65. It has extremely clean surfaces with no visible
hairlines or other distractions. The strike is strong
with full details on Liberty’s hair and the eagle’s
feathers. The coin is lustrous and toned. Liberty’s
cheek and the back of her head are bathed in “white”
light. The field in front of her chin and neck is dark
sepia. Blue-gray colors the top of her face and most
of the field above her head. Sepia and blue-gray mix
in the field behind her head. The reverse from left
to right is toned from tan and gold to light and dark
blue.Morgan’s design for the dollar shows a close
head of Liberty in profile facing left. She wears a
headband inscribed LIBERTY. In her hair are cotton,
corn, wheat, and tobacco. She wears a modified Phrygian
cap and is surrounded with the motto E PLURIBUS UNUM,
thirteen stars (seven left and six right), and the date.
The reverse shows an eagle with wings raised looking
left. In its talons are arrows and olive branch, symbols
of preparedness and peace. A wreath is below and the
motto IN GOD WE TRUST is above. Except for the eagle’s
wing tips, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and ONE DOLLAR circumscribe
the design. The mintmark, if present, is below the wreath
and above the denomination.
……………..
Gobrecht was 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.
When Longacre first came to work at
the Mint in 1844, he was opposed by Franklin Peale,
the Chief Coiner. Peale was probably responsible for
some blundered dies that Longacre was criticized for
making. Peal was involved in a private, illegal medal
manufacturing business using Mint facilities. He was
concerned that this new political appointee would
interfere with his business, and he resisted Longacre’s
appointment as Chief Engraver. In the end Peale was
found out and fired in 1854. Longacre flourished in
his position and was responsible for creating many
new designs including the Indian Head cent, the two-cent
piece, the Shield nickel, the Liberty Head gold dollar,
the Indian Princess gold dollar, the three-dollar
gold piece, and the Liberty Head double eagle. William
Barber was born in England, married and came to the
United States as an adult. He was the son of an engraver
and had apprenticed to his father in the early years
in England. Among other things he learned typesetting
for cards and labels and fine silver engraving. He
settled in Boston in September 1852 and worked for
Gorham & Company, manufacturers of silver and
gold jewelry. Barber was responsible for die making
and pattern design for Gorham’s trade medals
and commemoratives. Eventually, as the Civil War was
ending, James B. Longacre, Chief Engraver at the Mint,
hired Barber as an assistant in 1865. Barber moved
to Philadelphia and began designing patterns and medals
for the Mint. One of his most famous medals was the
one celebrating the 100th Anniversary of America’s
Independence. When Longacre died in 1869, Barber became
the fifth Chief Engraver at the Mint. He earned $3,000
per year in salary and held the position until his
death in 1879. When he became the Chief Engraver,
he immediately hired his unproven son, Charles to
be an assistant engraver. This hiring was an example
of the kind of patronage that Longacre had tried to
eliminate.
Morgan was born on January 4, 1845
in Birmingham, England. Morgan attended the Birmingham
Art School and won a scholarship to the South Kensington
Art School. He worked as an assistant under the Wyons
at the British Royal Mint. In 1876 Morgan immigrated
to the United States and was hired as an assistant
to William Barber at the United States Mint. Morgan
reported directly to Mint Director Henry R. Linderman,
whose office was moved to Washington D.C. in 1873,
no doubt upsetting Engraver Barber and his son, Assistant
Engraver, Charles Barber. Morgan was involved in the
production of pattern coins from 1877 until his death
in 1925. He designed varieties of the 1877 half dollar,
the “Schoolgirl” dollar of 1879, and the
“Shield Earring” coins of 1882. He became
the seventh Chief Engraver in 1917 with the death
of Charles E. Barber. Today, Morgan is most known
for his design of the Morgan Dollar of 1878 to 1921.
A recently found, although never released design was
for the $100 Gold Union.
By some standards his career was a
disappointment. He was an Assistant Engraver for over
forty years and during that time designed only one
regular issued United States coin, the famous Morgan
Dollar. In 1917 Charles Barber died. Morgan, at age
72, finally became Chief Engraver.