Goldberg Coins and Collectibles

Sale 74

June Long Beach Coin Auction

Patterns

Lot	Photo	Description	Realized
Lot 1329		1836 Pattern Two Cents. Copper, Plain Edge. Judd-54. Pollock-57 Low Rarity 6. NGC graded Proof 45 Brown. CAC Approved. Steel brown surfaces, light wear from circulation. One feels inclined to include an exclamation point after that last sentence in reference to it being circulated. But historians are reminded that in the period from Independence until 1857 (officially), all sorts of coins and tokens and private bank notes were used in the USA as money. People didn't think twice about it if they felt the coin or piece of paper money had the requisite value. How times have changed. 1836 is notable for the appearance of Patterns for two denominations which were not regularly issued until many years later, the two-cent piece and the gold dollar. The two-cent piece had been proposed first in 1806 in a bill introduced into the U.S. Senate by a Mr. Tracey. The proposal was defeated probably because of the strong opposition of the Director of the Mint, Robert Patterson.' By a strange coincidence, on December 12, 1836, his son, Robert M. Patterson, who had been appointed Director of the Mint by President Andrew Jackson, May 26, 1835, proposed the coinage of a two-cent piece, as well as a gold dollar, when he appeared before a Congressional committee considering the bill which became the Act of Jan. 18, 1837. No further measures were taken, however. The United States did not mint a two-cent piece until 1864. Pop 1; 7 finer, 3 in 64, 1 in 65, 3 in 66 (PCGS # 11198) . Estimated Value $900 - 950. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $2,300
Lot 1330		1839 Pattern Dollar. Silver, Reeded Edge. Judd-104. Pollock-116 Rarity 3. NGC graded Proof 64. Well struck and untoned. Except for a few presentation pieces, most "original" 1839 dollars were intentionally placed into circulation at face value and therefore numismatists of the present consider them to be regular issue coins and not patterns, although they are listed in the Judd and Pollock reference books as such. Today, many 1839 dollars are found in circulated, impaired, or damaged condition. The present 1839 dollar has gorgeous high-end qualities that shows it was in numismatic stewardship since it was minted. The issue is often collected with the Seated Dollars (1840-73), so we placed it there instead of with the pattern issues. The obverse is by Christian Gobrecht with the seated Liberty design, the reverse is an eagle in full flight with the legend UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and ONE DOLLAR around. The strike is as crisp as a Minnesota Winter morning, and the surface must be seen to be appreciated. Full gleaming mirrors. Needle-sharp detail on Liberty and eagle. High perfect rims. And not a single sign of mishandling anywhere. This is the more common die alignment, and these are believed to be restrikes circa 1858 or later during the "high" flying Robert Coulton Davis years of free flowing laudanum for Mint employees, who supplied Mr. Davis with various delicacies from the Mint's die library. We should praise these early indiscretions at the Mint, for many of our more popular coins were "made to order" during the free wheeling days before the various scandals broke, and the "restrikes" were brought under control, at least for awhile. A resplendent example for the Silver Dollar connoisseur! Pop 17; 11 finer, 9 in 65, 2 in 66 (PCGS # 11446) . Estimated Value $30,000 - 35,000. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $43,700
Lot 1331		1839 Pattern Dollar. Silver, reeded edge. Reeded Edge. Rarity 3. NGC Proof AU Details. Reverse spot removed. Attractive antique toning with some iridescense about the borders on both sides. Gobrecht dollars are always in demand. Gobrecht Dollars are among the most beautiful (and challenging) series in U.S. numismatics to study. It so happens, the 1839 is one of the more enigmatic of these. Most extant 1839 Gobrecht Dollars, whether they are originals from 1839 or restrikes from later decades, were struck in Die Alignment IV. (No 1839 Gobrecht Dollars struck in Die Alignment I apparently.) The 2005 Guide Book states that 300 1839 Gobrecht Dollars were delivered that year for use in circulation. These coins were struck from perfect dies in Die Alignment IV, and most survivors are worn and/or impaired from use in the avenues of commerce. We do not know how many restrike 1839 Gobrecht Dollars were prepared in later decades, these usually show a die crack between the letters of AMERICA, but an estimate of 200 pieces seems reasonable. Unlike survivors of the 300-piece original delivery, restrikes of this issue tend to be in high grades. This should come as no surprise since the latter specimens were prepared expressly for sale to collectors (PCGS # 11446) . Estimated Value $17,000 - 18,000. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Unsold
Lot 1332		1854 Pattern Cent. Bronze, plain edge. PCGS graded Proof 63 Brown. A head of Liberty similar to the standard Large Cent, but on a small format planchet (usually 96 to 100 grains), and lacking stars around Liberty. In the period between 1851 and 1864, the US Mint via its Pattern coin department, was experimenting with various proposals for a replacement for the Large Cent. This is an early iteration. Later, the copper-nickel Flying Eagle and Indian Cents would come online, before the government finally established the 48-grain French bronze format used from 1864 to 1982. Original. Pop 32; 56 finer (PCGS # 11663) . Estimated Value $1,400 - 1,500. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $1,840
Lot 1333		1870 Pattern Half Dollar. Silver, Reeded Edge. Judd-933. Pollock-1039 Low Rarity 7. NGC graded Proof 66. Lovely blue and golden toning. Pop 2; none finer at NGC . Tied for finest NGC certified and a delightful coin whose resonating color inspires paragraphs of memorable descriptions. But the reader will be spared and instead asked to enjoy the photographs, think about the history of this handsome Pattern Half Dollar by the newly installed chief engraver at the Mint, William Barber, whose design this is. A special coin with razor-sharpness all around, gleaming scintillating fields and the right qualities to attract even the most discriminating bidder. Estimated Value $5,000 - 6,000. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $7,188
Lot 1334		1870 Pattern Half Dollar. Silver, Plain Edge. Judd-988. Pollock-1117 High Rarity 7. PCGS graded Proof 64. Lovely toning on both sides, the colors beaming with iridescence. And a bold example of this STANDAR SILVER proposal. Pop 3; none finer at PCGS (PCGS # 61234) . The year 1869 marked the advent of a remarkable series of Pattern pieces, known as the Standard Silver series, which were intended to be used to replace the fractional currency. Pattern issues carried over into 1870 calendar year as well. The new proposal consisted of denominations of fifty, twenty-five and ten cents which were smaller in size and lighter in weight than the regular United States coins of equal denomination. They were to be struck in the same silver alloy as the authorized United States silver coins, but the weight of the half dollar was to be reduced from 192 to 154 grains, the quarter from 96 to 77 grains and the dime from 38 1/10 to 31 1/2 grains. The intention of the reduced weight was to prevent hoarding and exportation. The value was to depend upon the authority of their Issue rather than upon their bullion value so that they might be current whether gold was at par with paper money or not. William Barber made dies for three different obverses for each denomination after designs by J. B. Longacre. These sets of nine pieces each were struck in silver, copper and aluminum with plain and reeded edges and sold at the mint for fifteen dollars a set. Estimated Value $6,000 - 6,500. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $4,313