Lot 1110
1839. Designer's name omitted. Judd-104. Pollock-116. NGC graded Proof 63. Uniform midnight blue toning on both sides. Except for a few presentation pieces, most 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. Not so with this exciting blue-toned Choice Proof. The coin exhibits true old-fashioned care in its preservation. It exhibits razor-sharp detail. In fact, it exhibits all the fine qualifications for the Proof 63 grade and a whole lot beyond! Pop 9; 25 finer with 15 in 64, 8 in 65, 2 in 66. (PCGS # 11446) .
In December 1839 the coiner delivered 300 silver dollars, the last with the flying eagle reverse. Like the 1838 dollars, these had reeded edges. The 1839 coinage ended the period of experimentation to see if the dollar would again be acceptable. Apparently, the answer had been yes because in 1840 the Mint struck silver dollars in much larger numbers than it had during the period 1836-1839.
With only two exceptions -- the 1836 with name on base, plain edge, and starry reverse field; and the 1839 with reeded edge and starless reverse field -- all Gobrecht silver dollars dated from 1836 to 1839 are patterns. However, many collectors have included them among the regular series in their cabinets, much as the pattern 1856 Flying Eagle cent is desired by collectors of small cents, and the pattern $4 gold stellas of 1879 and 1880 are included in many holdings of regular gold coins.
Estimated Value $25,000 - 27,000.
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| Realized $35,650 |
