(1976) Blank Pattern - RB-2000, GOULD

Coin Details

Description

Reed-Brenner 2000 is an unstruck dime-sized blank planchet produced by Gould Inc. as part of the experimental small dollar coin evaluation program conducted for the United States Mint during the mid-1970s. Gould Inc., an electronics and metals conglomerate headquartered in Rolling Meadows, Illinois, was one of several private-sector firms invited to submit experimental alloy compositions for the proposed small-format dollar coin that Congress was considering as a replacement for the Eisenhower dollar. The blank planchets in the RB-2000 series represent the most fundamental stage of alloy testing: prepared metal discs evaluated for color, luster, weight, electromagnetic signature, and resistance to wear and corrosion before any dies were employed. The dime-sized format of the RB-2000 and RB-2010 blanks allowed Mint engineers to test planchet behavior at a smaller diameter, assessing how each alloy formulation performed during the blanking and annealing processes. These pieces are cataloged in the Reed-Brenner reference, the standard work on experimental and pattern coinage of the modern era, which assigns the RB-2xxx series to unstruck Gould blanks. As pre-strike test pieces with no design elements, these blanks are collected primarily as artifacts of the research program that ultimately produced the Susan B. Anthony dollar in 1979.

Rarity Notes

R-7 to R-8. Extremely rare as experimental test pieces that were not intended for distribution. Most surviving examples are in institutional collections or were acquired by advanced pattern specialists. The blank planchet format makes authentication particularly challenging, as the pieces must be verified by composition analysis.

Cross References

Reed-Brenner RB-2000; Gould Inc. experimental program; cf. RB-2010 (dime-sized blank variant), RB-2100/RB-2200 (quarter-sized blanks); precursor to Susan B. Anthony dollar (1979)