Original Mintage:
Proof coins only: 760
The actual number of coins issued was less than the total struck as an unknown number of unsold 1878 proof coins were melted when the denomination was abolished. The widely accepted
value for the net mintage is 600.
Major Varieties:
None
Overall Scarcity:
Proof coins stuck in 1878 are very scarce, but not as much as the 1877 proof coins. The 1878 also can be found with circulation wear. Circulated proofs of this date are equal to the 1877 in
rarity and have the same level of demand.
Comments:
Like the 1877 proof coins, cleaned and impaired 1878 proofs are more common than original pieces. The highest grade examples appear mostly at auction or at a specialist dealers’ table on the bourse
of a large coin show.
Similar to 1877, original and problem-free circulated 1878 proof coins are very rare, and a number of collectors have been patiently waiting years to find one, and will likely wait a while longer.
A well-circulated 1878 proof (click for full-size images)
Die Marriages:
A single pair of dies was used to strike this proof-only issue.
