1871 Liberty Seated Silver Dollar. OC-13. Rarity-2. MS-64+ (PCGS).A richly original, handsomely toned example of this popular type issue in the Motto portion of the Liberty Seated dollar series. Bathed in a bold blend of olive-gray, antique gold and silver-lilac patina, both sides are satiny in texture with a generally sharp strike. Smooth and appealing, a bit more intensity to the luster would likely have secured a full Gem rating for this premium quality example. One of only two issues in the circulation strike Liberty Seated dollar series with a mintage of more than 1 million coins, the 1871 barely surpasses the 1872 to rank as the most readily obtainable issue of the Motto design type. Most of the 1,073,800 pieces produced were almost certainly exported to China (the destination for most circulation strike Philadelphia Mint Liberty Seated dollars beginning with the 1869 issue). Additional examples remained stateside and likely saw domestic circulation once specie payments resumed in 1876. Several hundred pieces were still in storage in federal vaults at the time of the silver dollar releases of 1962 to 1964, these coins providing the majority of Uncirculated examples available to todays high grade type collectors. While the 1871 is readily available by Liberty Seated dollar standards, especially in circulated grades, lower grade Mint State examples are scarce in an absolute sense and coins grading MS-64 or finer are rare. Superior for the assigned grade, and with a "look" that does not suggest association with the Treasury Department releases of the 1960s, this premium near-Gem represents a significant bidding opportunity for the advanced type collector.
