1868 Proof

The 1868 Seated Liberty Dollar Proof is struck at the Philadelphia Mint with a documented mintage of 600 pieces per the Mint Director annual report. The 1868 Proof carries the standard Christian Gobrecht obverse and the With Motto reverse that defines the Type 2 era from 1866 through 1873. The live page mintage of 162,700 reflects the circulation-strike figure rather than the proof mintage.

Authentication of an 1868 Seated Dollar Proof requires careful examination of strike quality, mirrored field character, and surface preservation under five to ten power magnification. The 1868 Proof shows fully struck Liberty drapery, sharp eagle feather definition with the motto banner clearly defined, and deep mirror fields that distinguish formal proof production from business-strike prooflike examples. PCGS, the Professional Coin Grading Service, and NGC apply standard proof grading conventions across the Seated Dollar proof sequence. Cameo and Deep Cameo designations are uncommon for 1868 Proof examples.

The 1868 Seated Dollar Proof is a regular-classification proof entry on this site under the standard catalog convention for Seated Dollar proofs, with the 600-piece mintage and standard proof status reflected in the prose rather than the badge tier. The 1868 Proof pairs with the broader 1866 Motto through 1873 With Motto P-mint proof sequence as the matched Type 2 proof era. Auction records for confirmed 1868 Proof examples cluster in four-figure prices for Proof-63 and Proof-64 grades, with Cameo premiums applying at higher grade levels. Modern Seated Dollar proof collecting interest concentrates on the matched type sets (No Motto 1840-1865 vs With Motto 1866-1873) and the restrike issues that document mid-century Mint production for collector subscription, with specialist demand supporting strong premiums above raw bullion at every grade. Pedigree documentation for known examples threads through major collection sales including those held at Stack Bowers, Heritage Auctions, and earlier Bowers and Merena catalogs that continue to anchor the modern certified-population research. For the Type 2 Seated Dollar proof production context, see the Seated Liberty Dollar series history.