RWB

Currently available, published, material is nearly all conjecture with a couple of historical documents tossed in and repeated ad nauseam. After multiple layers of this stuff, the truth, if there ever was any, has been crushed into mush. What I've learned so far - at a very high level - is that there were distinct periods and causes of discrepancies in patterns and restrikes. This opens up some of the reasons for actions and insights into the persons involved, and their motivations. It also occasionally exonerates some individuals often accused of malfeasance or profiteering. Anyway -- that's the direction of the work. I don't know what the final product will be; only data and analysis will tell.

Yes. It's a sorry looking coin - cleaned and scrubbed several times. I once owned an 1850 PL that was far more attractive, although not a proof.

RE: "The curious, tall, narrow letter font that Paquet favored on this issue exhibits an archness, an unusual piquant, archaic air that is instantly identifiable by collectors familiar with the Liberty Head series. It was clearly not readily identified by the noncollecting public of the day, however, as most examples of the Paquet Reverse twenties circulated extensively." Double eagles, or any gold coins, were not collected on the western coasts of Canada, US or Mexico. They were circulating coins and "standardized gold" (kind of like "Regulated gold" of the 18th century). No one cared about slight differences. The small San Francisco output went right out the door in payment for bullion/dust deposits. Had they made it back east they would certainly have been noticed right away - quite a few coin collectors were employed by banks, bullion merchants and others who dealt with coins on a daily basis.

https://www.cnn.com/videos/us/2021/04/22/local-treasure-hunter-pkg-wfsb-vpx.wfsb The link is good.

Good info!

The minute amounts of radium used in watches and other items with a glass or plastic cover pose no special danger. Uncovered items should be protected from chipping or peeling - the primary hazard being ingestion of radioactive dust. The alpha and beta particles emitted during decay do not penetrate the skin, and the gamma rays are of low ionizing energy. However, in the body radium accumulates in the bone much as does calcium, and there the radiation can cause mutations leading to cancer. Radium has little use and the total global production is about 100 grams per year - mostly from spent fuel rods.

Seems to be 1947. Unlikely any TPG would authenticate it as any other "date" - or what's left of a date.

Glad you got a "surprise" grade. Look through Heritage and Stacks-Bowers auction prices for identical coins, and also ebay. These can give you a range of possible values. Just remember to deduct the cost of selling from the prices you see.

Mint letters refer to this as a diameter problem.

The central design has greater relief above the field than "normal" coins - so that would be high relief. The field also is somewhat concave. A medal press should have been able to bring up all the design, but it might have taken 2 blows. I've never seen a proof or circulation piece with full (equal to the model) relief....but one might exist. Part of this might relate to the purpose of the proofs - they were not "pretty pieces" for sale. They were for internal design approval. This also explains the antiquing applied to some. It was an era when the "art of the medal" dominated and the closer our coins could be to medals, the better.

The research is focused on restriking and distribution rather than specific designs. There will be some discussion of designs were variations were used (half cent proofs for example), or where "impossible" metals were introduced at the request of certain collectors. The overall goal is to better understand how, who and why the pieces were issued outside of the Mint Cabinet. (Eventually there will be a new 2-Vol "Judd" but on the depth and scale of Pollock's book. That is a project handled by others.)

Don't know. Just the way the sculptor prepared the models.

Webb was only a Sergeant; his sidekick became a full Colonel and a surgeon.

But -- if he had declared their real value - 50-cents each or $2.00 total - his bill would have been much smaller and he could still have gotten nice photos to print on a new T-shirt.

I've been researching U.S. patterns, restrikes and related pieces (1836-1895) for at least the past 10 years. Finally, I have located enough original materials to begin compilation and roughing out the draft(s). I take the liberty of mentioning this on the message board in hopes that anyone who might have information on the subject will contact me. This includes letters, diaries, memoranda, and similar original materials from Mint Officers, collectors and others who possibly had first-hand knowledge. My research process is oriented toward original materials and observations. Therefore, I do not bother with most published items unless they can point to original sources. Please feel free to send me a PM if anyone can direct me to items of possible interest; or if you simply have questions, please post them here. Thanks!

The set included one of each pattern cent dated 1858. Rick Snow has copious information on his website.

Good stuff ! Recommend for anyone who "thinks" they can grade coins.

Dollarfan-- Your MS-65+ is typical for production from the 2nd day - striking pressure was reduced to better preserve dies, but that eliminated nearly all hope of bringing up the full detail of the original cast. (See a Guide Book of Peace Dollars for illustrations comparing detail. See Renaissance of American Coinage 1916-1921 for in-depth information on the origin, design and initial production of Peace dollars. Both books are by the present writer, and are built on modern research, not the imagination of Wally Breen and others.)

It was supposed to be the Philadelphia Mint's policy to send sets of pattern pieces to "recognized numismatic associations and museums" on payment of the cost of metal. However, the policy was not consistently followed and few qualified organizations - other than ANS - seem to have made regular requests. Here is a sample letter from the Mint Director to the Numismatic Society of Philadelphia along with a set of the 12 1858 pattern cents. Some of these sets remain in the original recipients' collections, others have "vanished." I wonder where they are today - or if they were broken up and sold separately; or possibly spent for penny candy? June 13, 1859 Mr. A. B. Taylor Secretary of The Numismatic Society of Philadelphia Dear Sir, In 1858, when I determined to change the devices on the cent coinage, I caused several dies to be prepared from which specimens were struck. Believing that it would be interesting to your society to possess a full series of the specimen pieces I herewith send you one of each, being twelve in number, and exhibiting the different varieties. I am with great respect Your friend and obedient servant James Ross Snowden, Director of the Mint [RG104 E-1 Box 55]

Excellent.

FYI- the reason for the small amount of copper in the zinc core is to improve bonding between the core and plating. Zinc tends to volatilize at the melting temperature of copper.

Including those made in Colorado, in the shadow of a Federal prison.

There are no "Roman finish" proofs - that was Breen's imagination. They are satin proofs, nothing more or less. The criteria to create a proof MCVII are present on many of the coins -- after all, there were only two die pairs and two collars, and they were evidently mixed indiscriminately (although probably not intentionally) during production beginning in November.

Agreed -- But you're a reasonable, responsible person.

Settlers or snakes -- or both?