(1977-78) Dollar Pattern - RB-1600, GOULD

Coin Details

Description

Reed-Brenner 1600 is an isolated entry in the Gould dollar pattern series, positioned between the RB-1500 cluster and the terminal RB-1700. The hundred-unit jumps from RB-1515 to RB-1600 and from RB-1600 to RB-1700 indicate that these final two compositions represent distinct alloy concepts rather than incremental variations of earlier formulations. RB-1600 may test a fundamentally different metallurgical approach — a different base metal system, a novel cladding or bonding technique, or an alloy family outside the copper-nickel spectrum that dominated the earlier entries. The Gould program's catalog structure, with its clusters of fine variations interspersed among widely spaced standalone entries, indicates a research methodology that combined focused optimization of promising compositions with broader exploration of alternative approaches. RB-1600 represents one of these exploratory alternatives, testing a composition that differed enough from the optimized clusters to warrant its own catalog group.

Rarity Notes

R-7. Very rare. NGC census records an image for this piece.

Cross References

Reed-Brenner RB-1600; Gould Inc. experimental program; isolated entry between the RB-1500 cluster and RB-1700