 1888 Proof-65 Cameo (NGC). A lovely specimen with "orange peel" fields. Rich orange gold. A tiny lint mark is seen on the cheek of Miss Liberty, and a very tiny lamination is on the reverse below the denomination numeral—trivial to be sure, and probably not worth mentioning.
The 1888 is the latest readily collectible Proof in the gold dollar series. Although the Guide Book of United States Coins registers a grand mintage of 1,779 Proofs for the next year, 1889, such pieces today are seldom seen on the market, and appear less frequently than do issues earlier in the decade with posted productions of only a fraction of that amount. Obviously, either the 1,779 number is a gross error, or the pieces were never distributed and were melted, or, far fetched, perhaps they were ordered for some grand presentation event, given to the public, and were spent.
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