7522

1839 PS$1 Name Omitted, Judd-104 Restrike, Pollock-116, R.3-4, PR64 NGC. Formerly sold as lot 6450 i

Currency:USD Category:Coins & Paper Money / US Coins Start Price:NA Estimated At:45.00 - 60.00 USD
1839 PS$1 Name Omitted, Judd-104 Restrike, Pollock-116, R.3-4, PR64 NGC. Formerly sold as lot 6450 i
1839 PS$1 Name Omitted, Judd-104 Restrike, Pollock-116, R.3-4, PR64 NGC. Formerly sold as lot 6450 in our 2001 Atlanta Sale, where it was described as, "Die Alignment IVa. Head of Liberty opposite the right side of the F in OF, with the eagle flying level following a medallic turn. Fully struck in all areas with complete definition on Liberty's foot and sandal. Richly toned with gray-golden toning over both sides and a wide swath of cobalt-blue at the top of the obverse. The proof surfaces are deeply mirrored and only interrupted by a few crisscrossing hairlines in the right obverse field. Double punched on stars 5 and 8, as evident on all 1839 dollars. "A full figure of Liberty, with pole and shield, is the main design element on the obverse. The 26 stars that had been placed on the reverse of the 1836 dollars have now been removed, and 13 stars are now seen around the figure of Liberty on the obverse. A majestic flying eagle (symbolizing the United States) adorns the reverse surrounded by the legend UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and the denomination: ONE DOLLAR. According to official mintage reports, 300 silver dollars were made in 1839; however, it is not clear that all of these coins were struck with the 1839 date. As Walter Breen pointed out in "The Secret History of the Gobrecht Coinages 1836-1840", published in The Coin Collector's Journal, Sept-Oct. and Nov.-Dec., page 17, 1954: "There is no basis for the traditional figure of 300 dollars of 1839 other than the Director's Report for that year. No dollars are mentioned in the Bullion Journals. No correspondence relating to them has survived." Preliminary research by M. L. Carboneau and James C. Gray indicates that fewer than 300 1839 dollars were actually made (including originals and restrikes), and that the original issue was made entirely in Die Alignment IV (not Die Alignment I) from perfect dies. The original 1839 dollars can therefore be distinguished from the restrikes by the presence of microscopic die cracks at the top of MERI in AMERICA, at the base of LAR in DOLLAR, and through the top of TE in UNITED. Not all die crack combinations are present on all 1839 dollars, from either weakness of strike or the emission sequence of the specific coin relative to when the die cracks developed. Except for a few presentation pieces, most "original" 1839 dollars were intentionally placed into circulation at face value and therefore are regular issue coins and not patterns, although they are listed in the Judd and Pollock pattern books. Today, many 1839 dollars are found in circulated, impaired, or damaged condition. When this coin is compared in overall availability of silver dollars on a date-by-date basis (not distinguishing between Mint State coins, proofs, originals, and restrikes), it is clear that 1839 dollars are very rare, especially in high grades. For example, using the PCGS, NGC, and ANACS population data as a guide to the general availability of certified coins, it appears that 1839 Gobrecht Dollars (with 73 certified coins) are about as rare as 1851 Dollars (72 coins) or 1873-CC Dollars (76 coins); and are excessively rare when compared with the number of certified 1794 Dollars (103 coins). "This 1839 dollar has a very faint die crack through the top of MERI in AMERICA. At least 20x magnification and proper lighting are necessary to see this crack. The existence of this die crack indicates that the coin is a "restrike" probably made between 1857 and 1859. From this die crack we can imply that this particular coin is from a small number of restrikes made under the authority of James Ross Snowden. During the late 1850s, there was a large demand for U.S. coins, which was spurred on in part by the elimination of the large cent in 1857. However, collectors quickly discovered that many coins made just a few years earlier (e.g., the Liberty Seated Dollars of 1851, 1852, the Gobrecht Dollars of 1836-1839, and several other issues) were impossible to find in circulation. Inquiries to the U.S. Mint for these coins led Snowden to realize that he could satisfy this demand by producing restrikes, and that the proceeds from these "private" sales could finance the purchase of coins and medals for the U.S. Mint Collection. Of course, Snowden was discreet about this operation, and at first there were no problems. Eventually, however, a scandal ensued which brought an end to Snowden's restriking activities. It was not until Linderman's tenure in office in 1867-1869 (and then again in 1873-1878) that the Gobrecht Dollar dies were taken out and a small number of additional restrikes were made. In any event, many of the restrikes that Linderman made went into his own personal collection. In fact, several Gobrecht dollar rarities were still in Linderman's estate as late as 1887 (he died in 1879 while under investigation by a congressional subcommittee concerning charges of misconduct which were never resolved). In spite of all of the restriking that occurred during the 1850s and then later in the 1860s, relatively few Gobrecht dollars were made and only a small fraction of these coins still survive. Almost all the 1839 dollars found today are "restrikes." If the "restrikes" of the 1838 and 1839 dollars had never been made, then these coins would, for all practical purposes, be non-collectible issues. Today, there are very few opportunities to obtain a high grade 1839 dollar equal to this coin. The perceptive collector will recognize the significance of this coin and the history surrounding it." Formerly a part of the Richard Genaitis Collection, the coin brought an impressive $23,000 when it was sold in August of 2001.From the Trane Collection. 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