1836 Proof Gold Dollar Pattern - J-69

Coin Details

Auction Record

Description

Designated Judd-69 (Pollock-72, High R.7), this silver pattern presents the same cap-and-rays gold dollar design as Judd-67 but struck in silver rather than gold. The obverse carries a Liberty cap inscribed LIBERTY, surrounded by a radiant glory of rays — the same motif that appeared on the 1836 Mint medal celebrating the advent of steam-powered coinage at Philadelphia. The reverse displays the denomination 1 D. in two lines, enclosed by a palm frond, with UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and the date 1836 around the rim. Struck in silver with a plain edge. This silver striking allows collectors to appreciate Gobrecht's cap-and-rays design in a different medium than the original gold. The design elements translate effectively to silver, though the piece lacks the warm luster of its gold counterpart. uspatterns.com records nine or ten silver examples and believes they are restrikes made with the other off-metal pieces. The pattern serves as further evidence of the Mint's experimentation with the gold dollar concept in 1836, more than a decade before the denomination was officially authorized by Congress in 1849. Reference data: struck in silver with a plain edge, rated R-8. Catalogued as Judd-69, Pollock-72, A/W 52, Taxay EP87. these were believed struck circa 1859 and possibly later as well.

Rarity Notes

R-8 (USPatterns.com)

Cross References

Judd-69; Pollock-72; Adams-Woodin 52; Taxay EP87