This site is intended to be a quick reference field guide for those interested in collecting chopmarked trade dollars. The information provided is believed to be accurate and is supported by thorough research. However, this is not intended to be an exhaustive or scholarly reference. There are a number of resources listed below but a special recommendation is made for the excellent reference book US Trade Dollar: Rarity, Collection Types, and Top 37 Varieties by Joe Kirchgessner. Chopmarked trade dollars have a fascinating history not replicable by any other US coin series. Every example is unique in the variety, quantity, and placement of its chopmarks. There is no better example of a coin that was used exactly for the purpose intended. This makes the series extremely interesting and satisfying to collect. The total population of chopmarked trade dollars in all conditions is approximately 10,000-15,000 coins, with scarce and rare dates aplenty. For comparison, that is roughly the s...