1876 Dollar Hub Trial - J-A1876-3, Reverse

Coin Details

Description

This reverse hub trial of an 1876 dollar preserves the impression of the master hub used to create working dies for the Seated Liberty dollar denomination. Hub trials differ fundamentally from die trials in their purpose: while a die trial tests a finished working die by striking a blank, a hub trial tests the master hub — the hardened steel tool that impresses its design into softer die steel to create individual working dies. The hub is essentially the mother from which all dies are born, making hub trials an even more fundamental record of the die-making process than die trials themselves. The reverse of the 1876 Seated Liberty dollar features the spread eagle with shield, olive branch, and arrows, "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA" above, "IN GOD WE TRUST" on a banner over the eagle (added in 1866), and "ONE DOL." below. The year 1876 is historically significant for the dollar denomination because it fell during the period when production of the standard silver dollar had been suspended following the Coinage Act of 1873 — the infamous "Crime of '73" that demonetized silver and ignited fierce political debate. This hub trial documents that the Mint maintained and tested its dollar hubs even during the suspension of dollar production, in anticipation of resumed coinage or for record-keeping purposes.

Rarity Notes

Extremely rare. Hub trials from the Seated Liberty dollar series are exceedingly scarce, as few hub impressions were preserved; unique or known in two to three specimens.

Cross References

Judd-A1876-3