1836 Dollar Die Trial - J-A1836-4

Coin Details

Auction Record

$10,869 NG0 08-05-2014 Heritage Auctions

Description

This die trial from the celebrated 1836 Gobrecht dollar dies represents another variety in the complex sequence of test impressions that Christian Gobrecht and Mint Director Robert M. Patterson produced during the development of America's most artistically acclaimed coin design. The Gobrecht dollar project, spanning from 1836 to 1839, involved numerous die configurations, metal compositions, and alignment experiments as Patterson sought to create a coin worthy of replacing the staid Capped Bust design that had served since 1807. The obverse features the iconic Seated Liberty figure — inspired by Titian Peale's drawings and refined by Thomas Sully — while the reverse displays the magnificent flying eagle soaring through a field of stars, based on sketches of Peter, the tame eagle kept at the Philadelphia Mint. The J-A1836-4 designation distinguishes this die trial from the other 1836 Gobrecht dollar varieties (J-A1836-5 and J-A1836-8, among others) by specific die characteristics such as die state, alignment, or composition. Each variety provides researchers with evidence of the iterative process by which Gobrecht and Patterson refined the design. The Seated Liberty motif introduced on the Gobrecht dollar would go on to appear on virtually every silver denomination from 1836 through 1891, making these die trials the birthplace of a design era.

Rarity Notes

Very rare. Die trials of the Gobrecht dollar in any variety are highly sought after; most individual Judd appendix numbers are known in fewer than five specimens.

Cross References

Judd-A1836-4