1884 G$1, CAM PR(PCGS#87634)

1884 G$1, CAM PR (PCGS#87634)

Summer 2026 Global Showcase Auction U.S. Coins

Lot Description: Proof gold dollar production soared to previously unheard of levels in 1884 with a mintage of 1,006 pieces. Numismatic scholars have found irrefutable proof that this increased mintage is due to contemporary demand for coins to use in jewelry, "a fad [having] developed circa 1882-3 for use of small gold coins as jewelry (watch fobs, tie pins, cufflinks, etc.), and Mint Superintendent A. Loudon Snowden took advantage of it," as reported by Walter Breen in his Proof coin <em>Encyclopedia</em>. Yearly Proof gold dollar mintages would remain above the 1,000-coin mark through the series' end in 1889. With most examples used in jewelry and subsequently lost, the Proof 1884 is rarer than the mintage might suggest. John W. Dannreuther (2018), in fact, accounts for only 150 to 200 survivors in all grades. At the premium Choice Cameo level, as here, the Proof 1884 is very scarce from a condition standpoint and seldom offered in today's market. This beautiful and vivid piece would do justice to an advanced Proof gold type or date set.