Just 960 Proof trade dollars were struck in 1881, a figure that is down more than 1,000 pieces from the previous year's Proof tally. Trade dollars had been phased out of their legal tender status by the end of the series and as a result Proofs were made in large numbers for collectors and speculators, but no coins were struck for general circulation after 1878.

The example to the left was sold by Stack's Bowers Galleries in the September 2013 Philadelphia Auction, where it realized $15,333.