1836 Proof Dollar Pattern - J-69a, Gilt

Coin Details

Description

Cataloged as Judd-69a, this gilt variety of the 1836 dollar pattern features the same cap-and-rays design as the standard Judd-69 silver striking and the gold Judd-67 original. The obverse shows a Liberty cap surrounded by radiating rays, with the reverse displaying 1 D. within a palm frond, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, and the date 1836. This piece was struck in a base metal and then gilt (gold-plated) to simulate the appearance of the gold original. Gilt pattern strikings occupy an interesting niche in numismatic collecting — they allowed Mint officials or collectors to approximate the look of a gold pattern at a fraction of the metal cost. Whether produced as a presentation piece, a die trial, or a collector cabinet coin, this gilt variety extends the known range of compositions for Gobrecht's cap-and-rays dollar design. Like other varieties in this series, it predates the authorized gold dollar denomination by more than a decade and represents the experimental spirit of the 1830s Mint under Gobrecht's artistic direction.