1871

With 80,150 business strikes, the 1871 sits at the bottom of the Philadelphia Type 2 mintage table, undercutting the 1868 (98,600), 1869 (175,155), and 1870 (155,185). For the With Motto sub-type that ran from 1866 through 1876, no other Philadelphia delivery dipped below six figures, which is why specialists routinely treat this date as the cluster's anchor and assign it semi-key status (CK-6501). A separate proof issue of 30 pieces was struck the same year and is universally regarded as a distinct rarity rather than an extension of the circulation strike, with surviving proofs estimated by Douglas Winter at roughly eight to twelve coins.

Population work shows attrition was severe. Doug Winter notes PCGS has graded only about twenty pieces in AU55 with a similar count finer, and Mint State coins are very rare overall, with the finest reported by both PCGS and NGC topping out at MS64. A small hoard that surfaced years ago bumped the date's Uncirculated availability slightly above the 1869 and 1870, but the practical ceiling remains thin: a PCGS MS64 example crossed the block at Heritage on August 9, 2020, realizing $84,000, an outcome consistent with how few coins reach that tier. Most survivors grade EF or low-end AU and frequently show the soft hair detail and abundant bag marks endemic to Philadelphia Type 2 production.

Pricing follows the population curve in a way that rewards careful comparison shopping. Properly graded AU55 coins have changed hands in the $3,500 to $4,500 range, with AU58 pieces typically $5,000 to $6,000, while clean Mint State examples generally start near $10,000 and climb sharply as eye appeal improves. Against the surrounding cluster, the 1871 commands the firmest step-up at the AU/Uncirculated boundary, where its lower mintage finally translates into measurable scarcity. Authentication relies on standard PCGS and NGC encapsulation since no significant business-strike die varieties are catalogued. For broader context on the type, see the Liberty Head Double Eagle series history.