1875-S Chop Mark On The Obverse. PCGS graded MS-61. Untoned. Pop 19; 63 finer, 39 in 62, 20 in 63, 4 in 64 for the "Chop Mark" designation (PCGS # 7039) . The Trade Dollar was introduced to compete with the Mexican 8 reales and similar silver coinage in Europe and Asia. During the early production years, many were sent overseas where they found wide use in China. The local merchants would often note their acceptance of the coins with their unique stamp or signature. These merchant stamps of approval would be hammered into the coin with a punch mark, or chop, and have since become known as chop marks. Some individual coins show only one or two such marks; other, up to dozens of these chop marks, reflecting their days in commerce on the Asian continent. Estimated Value $400 - 450. Categories: Trade Dollars
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