The Trade Dollar was issued by the United States starting in 1873 to promote commercial exchanges with China and Asia. The 1877 piece struck in San Francisco reflects the city’s role as a gateway to the Pacific. Designed to compete with European trade thalers and Spanish pesos, it carried a face value of one dollar but circulated mainly internationally. Its use within the U.S. created tensions, as it was sometimes refused at par in transactions. This coinage illustrates America’s ambition to establish itself on Asian trade routes in the 19th century.
