William (Bill) Cowburn (1955 - 2013) was a good friend, a consummate collector, and an expert on Trade Dollars, as well as a Table Assistant for me.  He was a friendly man who always had a smile on his face.

I feel honored that Bill Cowburn selected me to handle his collection of Trade Dollars. Bill had a passion for Trade Dollars, studied his coins carefully, wrote extensive notes on die marriages, and loved to share his knowledge with others. He recognized the importance of provenance to collectors, and he requested that his Trade Dollars be sold with his provenance. We have respected his request and have packaged these coins in 2 � x 2 � Saflips with cards noting The William Cowburn Collection, along with Bill's cards from his flips as well as any grading service tags left when he removed his coins from the slabs. 

We are sending some coins to PCGS for grading, but many great coins are now being offered raw. Photos were difficult to take because of the toning, lustre, and/or proof-like surfaces on the coins; specifically, hairlines show up much more on the photos than on the actual coins. We've done the best we can on the photos and we've added to the description our opinion on surfaces, lustre, etc. observed on the coins in hand.