1861 Proof Clark, Gruber & Co. Two-and-a-Half Dollar Die Trial - Copper

Coin Details

Auction Record

$6,900 PR64 01-01-2007 Heritage Auctions

Description

This proof copper die trial of the 1861 Clark, Gruber & Company quarter eagle represents the $2.50 denomination from the firm's final year of operation. Like the 1861 eagle, the quarter eagle received a design update for 1861, moving away from the Pikes Peak imagery toward a more conventional appearance modeled on United States Mint coinage. The proof quality of this die trial is evident in its sharp strike and carefully prepared surfaces, indicating that the dies were in excellent condition when this impression was taken. Copper proof die trials served a dual purpose at private mints: they verified die quality before gold blanks were struck, and they could serve as presentation pieces for the firm's principals or important customers. Clark Gruber's quarter eagle was their smallest denomination and would have required the most precise die work to achieve acceptable detail at the reduced scale. The firm's entire coining operation lasted barely two years, making any Clark Gruber product scarce and die trials in copper exceptionally so.

Rarity Notes

Of the highest rarity. Proof copper die trials of the Clark Gruber quarter eagle are essentially undocumented in commerce.

Cross References

K-2 (Kagin), proof impression; Clark, Gruber & Company, Denver, Colorado Territory