1836 Proof Dollar Pattern - J-67

Coin Details

Auction Record

$32,200 PR67 08-05-2007 Stack's

Description

Cataloged as Judd-67 (Pollock-70, R.5), the 1836 gold dollar pattern is one of the finest achievements of Chief Engraver Christian Gobrecht. The obverse presents a Liberty cap encircled by radiating rays of glory — a motif inspired by contemporary Mexican coinage of the period. The reverse features the denomination 1 D. within a gracefully coiled palm frond, with the date 1836 below and UNITED STATES OF AMERICA above. Struck in gold with a plain edge. This pattern predates the official gold dollar denomination by more than a decade — Congress did not authorize the gold dollar until 1849. Gobrecht's cap-and-rays design represents an early exploration of what a gold dollar might look like, produced alongside his more famous silver Flying Eagle dollar patterns. The design is closely related to the motif used on the 1836 Mint medal commemorating the introduction of steam-powered coinage at the Philadelphia Mint. Together with the Gobrecht silver dollars, this gold dollar pattern stands among the most admired products of Gobrecht's tenure as engraver, demonstrating his ability to create bold, distinctive designs within the constraints of a small-diameter coin.