1882 Proof

Proof Seated Liberty Quarter delivery for 1882 came in at 1,100 pieces, slightly above the 975-piece 1881 figure and inside the typical late-series range that runs from roughly six hundred to fifteen hundred pieces depending on the year. Philadelphia circulation production for 1882 stood at 15,200 business strikes, again well under the Proof figure on a multiplied basis: the Proof delivery here is about one-fourteenth the business-strike figure, well above what nearly any other Philadelphia series shows for the same period. The site mintage of 1,100 reflects the actual Proof delivery and is correct on the catalog page. Treasury silver continued flowing primarily toward Morgan dollar production, leaving the quarter denomination with the same sparse circulation work that had defined the years on either side.

Strike and authentication diagnostics align with the mature late-series Proof program. Brilliant Proof striking shows mirrored fields, sharp denticles, and squared rims, with the eagle's shield lines, leg feathers, and the banner motto "IN GOD WE TRUST" all at full strike depth. Cameo contrast, the visual difference between frosted devices and reflective fields, earns a CAM designation from PCGS, the Professional Coin Grading Service, or NGC, the Numismatic Guaranty Company; heavier frost coverage on both sides earns Deep Cameo, written DCAM. CAM-designated 1882 Proofs appear in major-service populations with reasonable frequency because the 1,100-piece delivery left enough original-surface coins for both services to certify; DCAM coins remain meaningfully scarcer. Weight should sit near 6.25 grams under the Coinage Act of February 12, 1873 standard. Counterfeit risk on Seated Proof issues stays low because the die-finishing process is difficult to reproduce.

Market position is steady and characterized by the close Proof-to-circulation supply ratio. Combined PCGS and NGC populations across all certified Proof grades sit in the low to mid hundreds, in line with surrounding late-series years. The buyer base draws from Seated quarter Proof set builders, With Motto type collectors completing a Proof example, and date-run specialists working the 1875 to 1891 stretch. Because the 15,200 circulation strike is itself a Semi-Key date in the Philadelphia run, both strike types compete for date-set attention, and the Proof often costs less in upper grades than its business-strike counterpart. CAM and DCAM designations carry premiums, original cabinet patina outprices rebrightened pieces, and certification through a major grading service is the working baseline. For the broader story of Gobrecht's design, the 1892 Barber Quarter transition, and the series' proof program, see the Seated Liberty Quarter series history.