Our Seated Liberty Heritage & Gobrecht

[WoodenJefferson]

Our Seated Liberty Heritage & Gobrecht

 

Not so much emphasis is placed on the actual coin in this thread, but a little bit more on the person who is the most responsible for this long living depiction of our American coinage, Christian Gobrecht.

 

 

Here are a few pages from The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography kept by the Historical Society of Pennsylvania This brief Bio was written in 1906 by Charles Gobrecht Darrach

 

Note: Charles Gobrecht Darrach, one of six children of William and Christiana (Gobrecht)

Darrach, was born in Philadelphia in 1846. Christiana Elizabeth was Christian’s first born.

 

 

 

During the winter of 1834-1835 Congress debated the wisdom of enlarging the Mint service. In March 1835 the legislators decreed, and then President Andrew Jackson accepted, that three more mints (Charlotte, Dahlonega, and New Orleans) were required. Because of this sudden expansion, Moore decided that it was necessary to hire an additional engraver to handle the expected increase in the work-load; he settled on Christian Gobrecht, justly famed as one of our finest engravers. (At the same time, in part irritated by what he considered needless new mints, Moore submitted his resignation to President Jackson.)

 

Although Gobrecht’s appointment was to take effect January 1st, 1836, fate intervened. Chief Engraver Kneass suffered a stroke in August 1835, and the new Director, Patterson, requested permission from the Secretary of the Treasury to immediately hire Gobrecht as a second (not assistant) engraver. Gobrecht thus entered the Mint in September 1835.

 

In November 1836, the first pattern Gobrecht Dollars were coined, thought to number 18 or so, and these were distributed to certain locations in Philadelphia to gauge public reaction. Director Patterson had instructed Gobrecht to place his signature conspicuously below the base on these first examples, but this quickly drew harsh criticism from a local newspaper. Gobrecht then relocated his name in tiny letters to the base of Liberty, as seen in the specimen above. When this proved inadequate to still the mounting criticism, the engraver was forced to remove his signature in its entirety from the silver dollar dies that he prepared in 1838 and 1839. Other than the signature flap, the Gobrecht Dollar was generally well received.

 

A total of 1000 Gobrecht Dollars were minted for general circulation in December 1836. Another 600 were produced in 1837 of .900 fineness, but were dated 1836. In 1838, a couple dozen more Gobrecht Dollars were coined, considered as patterns, having 13 stars around the obverse outer edge and no stars on the reverse. Just 300 of the Gobrecht Dollars were struck in 1839, all of them targeted for circulation.

 

Interestingly, all Gobrecht Dollars were struck with a proof finish, including those intentionally released into circulation. To date, these are the only proof U.S. coins ever minted for use in every day commerce.

 

There are many varieties of the Gobrecht Dollar because of the presence or not of stars and/or the designer's name, and edge type. Mintage figures for all are difficult to estimate precisely, because of a limited number of Mint restrikes in the 1850's and 1860's.

 

Image of Christian Gobrecht courtesy of the National Numismatic Collection of the Smithsonian Institution.

Below is an example of Gobrecht's most famous work - J58/P61

 

 

All Gobrecht Dollars are extremely rare. Collectors of average means typically do not have a prayer of ever owning one. Proof-65 examples sell for about $100,000 or more, sometimes much more. From an affordability standpoint, the least expensive is the 1836 variety with "C. GOBRECHT F." on the base, eagle flying left amid stars on reverse, plain edge. Although quite scarce, this is the most frequently found Gobrecht Dollar, as it was minted for general circulation.

 

Value Trends for VF-20 condition

 

1950: $90.00

1980: $1750

1995: $3500

2003: $7500

2007: $7500

 

 

 

The first Gobrecht Dollars are properly called pattern coins, and numbered 18 or so. These coins were characterized by the engraver's name, "Christian Gobrecht F." (F. is Latin for FECIT, meaning "he made it"), quite noticeably between the base of Liberty and the date (see top photo). When a newspaper rebuked this as the work of a "conceited German", Gobrecht quickly relocated his name to the bottom of the base, where it drew less attention (bottom photo).

 

 

 

 

The Gobrecht Dollar of 1836 was the first U.S. coin to feature the figure of Liberty seated upon a rock. Seated Liberty coinage of 1837-1891 largely reproduced the obverse design from the Gobrecht Dollar, but there were a few modifications. One change was the shape of Liberty's right arm. On the Gobrecht Dollar (left image above), Liberty's arm resembled that of a weightlifter. The decision was made for Seated Liberty coinage (right image) to give her a sleek, more feminine arm.

 

In 1837, Gobrecht's seated Liberty was introduced on the obverse of the dime and half dime, with some minor modifications, such as toning down Liberty's muscular arms. These carried reverses distinct from Gobrecht's flying eagle, hence the origination of a new coin which we today call the Seated Liberty type. The quarter and half dollar followed suit in 1838 and 1839, respectively, followed by the silver dollar in 1840.

 

What is meant by medallic alignment Reverse and coin alignment reverse?

 

Regular production of Gobrecht dollars began sometime in December of 1836. The 1,000 regular issue dollars of 1836 were struck at the old 1792 standard fineness of .8924. The same date was used for the 600 coins minted in March, 1837, but these pieces were produced from planchets .900 fine as authorized by the Mint Act of 1837. So close in weight, the two issues are easily differentiated by alignment: the 1837 dollars have a medallic alignment the obverse and reverse are aligned on a vertical axis, while the 1836 coins have a horizontal, or coin, alignment. All original dollars dated 1836 will show the eagle flying "onward and upward," while the restrikes made in the 1850s and `60s will have the eagle flying horizontally. The approximately 25 coins made in 1838 are considered to be patterns, with thirteen stars around the periphery of the obverse replacing the stars on the reverse fields. Only 300 dollars were struck in 1839 with Gobrecht's design, and all were intended for circulation. These coins, like the 1838 patterns, have reeded edges.

 

Additional note on restrike orientation:

 

(Mint officials needed to be able to detect the restrikes in the future, so they set the dies in such a way that that the eagle is flying flat when the coin is properly rotated on its horizontal or vertical axis; originals in all cases have the eagle flying upward and to the left. The restrikes are worth less than originals, but due to the general demand for Gobrecht dollars, still bring several thousand dollars each in the highest grades.)

 

 

 

Re-strikes?

 

Throughout the 19th century Gobrecht dollars were very popular with collectors. In the late 1850s, demand far exceeded the available supply. Mint Director James Ross Snowden, desirous of expanding the Mint's collection of coins during his tenure, decided to take advantage of this situation. Funds were not available for outright purchase of coins, so Snowden used Mint dies to create numismatic curiosities such as the Class II and Class III 1804 dollars, "transitional" half dimes and dimes, and Gobrecht dollar restrikes. He would then trade these restrikes and fantasy coins to local collectors for rare coins lacking in the Mint collection. These restrikes were made from 1858 through the summer of 1860 and again in 1867-68. Actual numbers made are unknown, but it is estimated that the total number of restrikes may exceed the original mintage.

 

Almost all restrikes were struck from a cracked reverse die.

 

Additional info on re-strikes:

 

Federal authorities did not, however, destroy the original Gobrecht dollar obverse with C. GOBRECHT. F. below the base. Instead, the chief coiner locked the die in his vault, where it remained until the late 1860s. According to noted Gobrecht dollar specialist Saul Teichman, this obverse die was retrieved from the coiner's vault sometime between 1867 and 1878. Mated with the original reverse die with the eagle flying in a starry field, this obverse die produced an undetermined number of Gobrecht dollar restrikes (Judd-58). As the 18 originals that the Mint produced in late 1836 have since been lost, these restrikes constitute the sole representations of this die marriage available to today's Gobrecht dollar specialists.

 

Do replicas exist? Yes they do…here’s an example.

 

 

 

 

For you Geeks

 

1836 SILVER DOLLAR

 

Mintage:

Circulation strikes: 1,600

Proofs: estimated 100

Designer: Obverse by Thomas Sully, reverse by Titian Peale, both executed by Christian Gobrecht

 

Diameter: ±39 millimeters

Metal Content:

Originals - 89.2 % Silver, 10.8% Copper

Restrikes - 90% Silver, 10% Copper

Weight:

Originals - ±416 grains (±27.0 grams)

Restrikes - ±412.5 grains (±26.7 grams)

Edge: Plain (except for a reeded edge on one Restrike variety)

Mintmark: None (all examples of this date were struck at the Philadelphia Mint)

 

 

Varieties:

Originals:

Name below base, Starry Reverse

Name on base, Starry Reverse - Judd 60

Restrikes:

Name below base, Starry Reverse

Silver - Judd 58

Copper - Judd 59

Name below base, No Stars

Silver - Judd 63

Copper - Judd 64

Name on base, Starry Reverse, Plain Edge

Copper

Silver

Name on base, Starry Reverse, Reeded Edge

None known in Copper

Silver

Name on base, No Stars

Copper

Silver

 

1838 SILVER DOLLAR

Mintage:

Circulation strikes: 0

Proofs: estimated 100

 

1839 SILVER DOLLAR

Mintage:

Circulation strikes: 0

Proofs: estimated 300+

 

The U.S. silver dollar was the last coin denomination to adopt the Seated Liberty look. At the same time, it can be said the silver dollar was the first to feature the seated Liberty.

 

That's because the Seated Liberty theme originated with the Gobrecht Dollar in 1836. The obverse pictured Lady Liberty sitting on a rock, looking to her right, while holding a Union shield. In her left hand she grasps a liberty cap pole, emblematic of American freedom. An eagle in flight rules the reverse of the Gobrecht Dollar.

 

 

 

Additional notes:

 

In 1823, the chief engraver received a salary of $1200 per annum while the assistant engraver was at $600 per year.

 

In 1835, Gobrecht was hired as "second engraver" at an annual salary of $1500

 

1836 -- A new steam press was put into service at the Mint. New designs for the Silver Dollar and Half Dollar and a new cent were all introduced. Patterns minted include a billon and white metal two cents, a silver dollar, and a gold dollar.

 

Note: Billon is an alloy of a precious metal (most commonly silver, but also gold) with a majority base metal content (such as copper). It is used chiefly for making coins, medals, and token coins.

The word originates from the middle Latin billo, meaning "a coin containing mostly copper", or just "unit of payment".

 

As a result of the Act of 1837, a number of new patterns for half-dollars and dollars were introduced, with Christian Gobrecht being prominent in their design.

 

Back in 2000, nice PR63 Gobrecht Dollars seemed pretty cheap. They could be bought for around $20,000. Today, the same coin is more likely to cost in the area of $30,000-35,000.

 

Counterfeits are virtually unknown, perhaps because of the proof surface, which is very difficult to duplicate.

 

 

New Steam Press 1836

 

 

 

[physics-fan3.14]

Very good information packed cool post! I was just looking through TDN's excellent Gobrecht dollar set the other day on the registry - amazing!

[jesbroken]

Woody's been busy!!! What an informative presentation. Thank you for your time in putting this together.

Jim

[RI AL]

Wow! How interesting THAT is!!! Going to go back and reread.

[MikeInFL]

Very nice post! Thanks for taking the time, WJ...Mike