Walter Breen's Encyclopedia of United States and Colonial Proof Coins 1722-1989

*Silver Dollar. Gobrecht design, name belobase. w Rev. Flying eagle, 26 stars infield, dies aligned, the two circles flanking ONE DOLLAR in a level line, eagle therefore "Onward and Upward," to quote Mint Director Patterson's phrase. Judd 58, Adams-Woodin 46. The die was given 26 stars in anticipation of admission of Michigan as 26th state; 13 stars are large, for the Original Thirteen colonies, the others smaller. Time of mintage unknown, possibly November or early December 1836. Eighteen originals said to have been struck. I have not seen an original in many years, though one would be instantlyidentifiable by die alignment. The regularly seen restrikes have dies aligned or the eagle is horizontal as on 1856-S cents, the two circles not in a level line; they come without and with knife-rims and traces of cracks through OLLA and NIT ED STATES 0, whereas originals are from perfect dies. Cf. "Dupont": 2552, Cass - "Empire": 1718, Atwater - Neil:32, KS 1963, for possible originals. The copper impression is a restrike, as are all the silver and copper pieces with starless rev. of 1838. See Restrikes and Fantasy Pieces, below.

- Gobrecht design, name on base. Rev. as last. Judd 60, A W 42. [1,000 reported as of Dec. 31, 1836, dies aligned as above, + 600 reported as of March 31, 1837 from the same dies, aligned] Originals: 83 recut (fades), no rim breaks, no cracks through letters, no knife-rims; borders like the half cents - semi-rounded. Most proofs were spent; survivors come from perfection down to Good or even holed and plugged. Many have been drastically cleaned. For the restrikes with plain edge in both die alignments, and eagle level as in 1856-58 cents, two dots flanking ONE DOLLAR not level - as for the pieces with reeded edge, or with starless rev. of 1838, or in copper, see Restrikes and Fantasy Pieces, below.

Proof Sets. McCoy: 362, half cent to dollar (name n base), lacking the cent; to Hodge. Untraced.

Quarter Eagle. Head of 1834, long ribbon ends. *Breen A2 (not in original monograph): only one obv. of type, arrows well away from CA, large leaves. (1) SI ex Mint. (2) Parmelee:1055, H. P. Smith, Mills:530, Woodin: 956, Boyd, WGC:103, "Memorable":97. (3) ol. Grean, Kern:26. Wayte Raymond knew four.

- Head of 1835, Breen B3 (formerly II-3). only tip of upper ribbon visible; tiny forelock near 6th star; 3 below bases of 8-6. Rev. Split berry in field (stemless), A M far apart, 3rd leaf from bottom clawlike. Obv. die partly caved in; rev. border beads 4:00 to 9:00 far apart, attenuated around 7:00, one opposite middle leaf pair detached and microscopic. One seen, ex Stone House Coin Shop; tiny lamination defect in field southwest of 10th star.

Half Eagle. Probably Breen 4, "large date" (tall 1), period after wide "large" 5 D. a little high. (1) SI ex Mint. (2) Parmelee:1054, Mills, H. P. Smith, Farouk, NY Specialist.

Proof sets, presumably lacking the gold, may have been made up early in the year to celebrate the admission of Arkansas into the Union as the 25th State, and very late in the year to anticipate the admission of Michigan as 26th as above suggested. The fact that Gobrecht placed 26 stars on the dollar reverse - 13 large for the 13 original colonies, and 13 smaller for the 13 states thereafter admitted - shows that mint personnel in that period paid considerable attention to what may be called in a very real sense the "State of the Union." The earlier sets would have lacked the dollar and reeded edge half dollar; which half dime they had is impossible to tell.

1837

Cent. Head of '36. Plain hair cord, narrow truncation, large letters. N-3; check-mark die defect at left end of dash under CENT. Second earliest variety of the year, coming immediately after the very rare N-17, and preceding the large muling group which includes all the other First Head (Head of '36) coins. (1) Bement: 376, Beckwith: 88, H. c., W. F. Morgan: 282 - Mehl -T. J. Clarke: 278 - N. J. Specialist. (2) Calif. Specialist, ex H. Chapman as 'A-2', Hines, Charles Williams, W. H. Sheldon, Ernest Henderson, T. James Clarke. (3) Bement: 377. (4) Philadelphia Estate ex C. David Pierce, Kagin 8/45. (5) I once owned an impaired proof and have seen one other that appears to be in the same category. Reverse die shows varying strengths of a crack through MERICA, stem, ribbon fold, left ribbon tip and UNITED; business strikes have it heavier.

- N-13. Curved line through Y; double foot to N of NITED. New Jersey Specialist.

-Second head, Dr. French's" Pert Head." Plain haircord, large letters, rounded convex truncation. N-6: 7 well away from curl. (1) Newcomb II:682 to Philadelphia Estate, cleaned. (2) Pearl: 340 as 'N-3.'

- Same head. N-8: Date high, nearly straight, 7 very close to curl. Die scratches above MERI, seven center dots. Newcomb II: 684 to Philadelphia Estate.