2202

1838 PS$1 Name Omitted, Judd-84 Restrike, Pollock-93, 1838[PS$1] Name Omitted, Judd-84 Restrike, Pol

Currency:USD Category:Coins & Paper Money / US Coins Start Price:28,000.00 USD Estimated At:1.00 - 1,000,000.00 USD
1838 PS$1 Name Omitted, Judd-84 Restrike, Pollock-93, 1838[PS$1] Name Omitted, Judd-84 Restrike, Pol
<B>1838<PS$1> Name Omitted, Judd-84 Restrike, Pollock-93, R.5, PR63 PCGS.</B></I> Silver. Reeded Edge. Die Alignment III (head of Liberty opposite the NE of ONE). A brilliant and generally well struck coin; however, slight weakness is evident on Liberty's foot. No distinguishing marks are evident on the obverse, but there is a shallow scratch in the reverse field below the AT of STATES. There is also a small patch of hairlines in the right obverse field. The fields exhibit deeply reflective proof surfaces. Overall, an attractive coin with excellent eye appeal.<BR> The reverse displays two of the three common diagnostic die cracks that are often present on 1838 and 1839 dollars. The first crack appears through the tops of the letters MERI. It starts at the M in AMERICA and continues slightly beyond the I, ending part way to the C. The second crack is seen through the top of the letters NITE in UNITED. Finally, the die crack that is sometimes seen through the base letters of LAR in DOLLAR is not present on this coin. The lack of some of these very faint die cracks might be caused by a combination of two events: (1) a slightly less-than-perfect strike that failed to pick up these microscopic details; or (2) this particular die crack was not present at the time this coin was struck. It is difficult to decide which of these two competing theories is correct. Additional research is needed in order to understand the progression and development of these die cracks on both well stuck and weakly struck coins.<BR> The existence of at least two of the three reverse die cracks indicates that this is one of the more frequently encountered 1838 restrikes. The exact mintage of 1838 dollars is not known since there are no official Mint records on this subject; however, a recent article published by M. L. Carboneau and J. C. Gray in the <I>Gobrecht Journal</B></I> estimates that fewer than 200 1838 Dollars were probably made, and that all or nearly all of these coins are restrikes. For all practical purposes, it is impossible to purchase an "original" 1838 Dollar. No "original" 1838 dollar has been authenticated in recent memory, and the only obtainable 1838 dollars in the marketplace today, are the so-called "restrikes." Nearly all of the 1838 restrikes are found in Die Alignment III orientation, and even these coins are extremely difficult to locate.<BR> In comparison with the other Gobrecht dollar issues, 1838 dollars (with no official mintage) are significantly more difficult to locate than 1839 dollars (with an official mintage of 300 pieces), and are extremely rare when compared with the 1836 dated Gobrecht dollars (with an official mintage of 1600 coins [1000 struck in 1836 and 600 in 1837]). An often overlooked but amazing fact is that 1838 dollars are even scarcer than 1794 dollars. For example, the PCGS <I>Population Report</B></I> for October 2005 shows only 62 certified 1838 dollars (items 11350 and 11352) compared with 132 1794 dollars! The 1838 dollar available in this lot represents an attractive and very rare coin that will be the highlight of any collection.<BR><I>From The Jack Lee Collection, III</B></I>