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Undated and Unsigned (1836) Gobrecht Dollar Uniface "Splasher," Listed in Judd on Page 227, Pollock-

Currency:USD Category:Everything Else / Other Start Price:NA Estimated At:380.00 - 625.00 USD
Undated and Unsigned (1836) Gobrecht Dollar Uniface  Splasher,  Listed in Judd on Page 227, Pollock-
Undated and Unsigned (1836) Gobrecht Dollar Uniface "Splasher," Listed in Judd on Page 227, Pollock-3025, R.<p>8, MS60 Uncertified. Obverse die trial with a blank reverse. Impressed on a piece of thin, soft white metal (probably tin). One of only two examples known of this specific die trial. Andrew Pollock indicates that this specimen was Gobrecht's second die trial, and this conclusion is consistent with information reported by Walter Breen in his 1954 monograph The Secret History of the Gobrecht Coinages 1836-1840. However, new research recently reported by pattern expert Saul Teichman, and based on the collection of Gobrecht splashers residing in the Library Company of Philadelphia, indicates that this impression was more likely Gobrecht's third die trial. According to Walter Breen, both the second and third die trials were made in a thin fusible alloy. Therefore, it is not possible to determine with certainty which trial this specimen represents based on its metallic composition. According to Teichman, Pollock-3022 (shown as figure 609 in Pollock's pattern book), is actually Gobrecht's second die trial, and a splasher in the Library Company of Philadelphia Collection (tentatively identified as Pollock-3021), and unknown to Pollock, was Gobrecht's first die trial. Although the exact emission sequence for these splashers is not known, the specimen in this sale represents a very rare and important piece of numismatic history that preceded the famous Gobrecht Dollars made in December of 1836. The splasher in this sale is the plate image shown in Pollock's pattern book as figure 610 (page 398) and identified as P-3025. The second known specimen of P-3025 was previously sold as lot 5538 of the 1995 ANA Signature Sale, and probably represents the John J. Ford Jr. specimen, which is shown on page 8 of Walter Breen's 1954 monograph. Both specimens of P-3025 exhibit a curious crisscross background image. As pointed out by Walter Breen in his 1954 monograph, "the reason for the crisscross background on these squeezings is unknown, but may have been connected with the problem of translating an enlarged drawing into a small and rigidly circumscribed die area." The current specimen also exhibits two distinct cracks that traverse the obverse image. The lower crack exactly duplicates the image shown in figure 610 of Pollock's pattern book. This specimen also has the same die defect on the obverse between 3 and 4 o'clock. The upper crack does not appear in the Pollock figure and has obviously developed in recent years. The image of Liberty on this particular die trial and the design of the rock are also slightly different than that which appears on the final Gobrecht Dollar of 1836 (Judd-60). Finally, the splasher in this sale represents a very rare example of the evolutionary design that was unfolding in 1836 while Christian Gobrecht attempted to produce a full figure image of Liberty that would satisfy Robert Maskell Patterson's vision of a new dollar coin. All of the Gobrecht Dollar die trials are of great numismatic significance, and are extremely rare. This example would fit nicely in a pattern collection, or satisfy any numismatist interested in the rich history surrounding the development of the Gobrecht Dollar coinage.Ex: Christian Gobrecht; a Philadelphia Collection; 1952 ANA (New Netherlands, 8/52), lot 4479; Hatie Collection (Bowers and Merena, 3/85), lot 1625; Kagin's (3/85), lot 1590; probably the Taxay plate coin.From the David Bruce Collection. Important notice: We expect to be auctioning lots at the rate of 200-250 per hour. Sometimes eBay Premier live bid software cannot keep up with that pace, so we strongly recommend that you place a realistic proxy bid now as insurance to avoid disappointment. Also please note that all Heritage/CAA lots purchased through eBay Premier carry a 20% Buyer's Premium.