Q. David Bowers
The William Lilliendahl Collection catalogued by W.H. Strobridge, sold by Bangs, Merwin & Co., May 26-28, 1862, contained these Gobrecht dollars, not described as to varieties:
1836 Proof, tarnished, rare, $7.75 [Buyer: Walters].
1838 Br. Proof, $27.50 [Buyer: Hulbert].
William J. Jenks Collection catalogued by Edward D. Cogan, sold by' Bangs & Co., April 12-13, 1877, had a date set of Gobrecht dollars:
1836 Flying eagle. Proof. $8.00.
1838 Flying eagle. Proof. $31.00.
1839 Flying eagle. Proof. $35.00.
George Massamore's sale of the Hunter and Andrews collections, March 20, 1885, included Lot 167, an 1839 Gobrecht dollar, with the following description. Massamore was a dentist in Baltimore, who had as an extensive sideline a dealership ill rare coins, One of his prime clients. was T. Harrison Garrett.
1839 A perfect impression. Every part of the obverse and reverse sharp, bold, and evenly struck. Br. Proof. Slight haymarks. NOTE: A nephew of Mrs. Hunter, of Baltimore, was for years an employee of the Mint. In 1839 he sent her this dollar with the injunction, to keep it, that not many were struck. It has remained in the family ever since, until placed in my hands for sale. It was inherited by a niece, who, in readillg the value of rare coins in a newspaper a few weeks ago, found that she had a valuable piece. There has been a great deal of criticism indulged in recently, (and very justly too, no doubt) in regard to the reproduction of rare U.S. coins. 'this 1839 dollar possesses the merit of being an original impression. The facts,. as given above, will no doubt be appreciated by those wishing to send biddings. $38.00.
Lyman H. Low's sale of the Dr. Henry R. Linderman Collection, June 28, 1887. One .might presume that the Gobrecht dollars offered below are restrikes made while Linderman was Mint director.
1836 Flying eagle; C. GOBRECHT. F on base. Beautiful Proof; sharp. $15.25.
1836 Duplicate; equally perfect and desirable. $14.75. 1836 Same type, but C. GOBRECHT F. in field over date; edge plain. Splendid, sharp Proof; seldom offered; $28.00. 1836 Duplicate of last; equally perfect and desirable: $26.75.
1838 Liberty Seated, stars surrounding. Flying eagle; edge plain. Sharp, beautiful Proof. $55.00.
1838 Duplicate; not quite so perfect as on preceding, otherwise equally sharp. Fine and desirable. $52.80.
1839 Same type; plain edge. Four stars right a trifle flat in centre, otherwise a sharp, perfect Proof. $31.00.
1839 Duplicate.equally perfect and desirable. $29.30.
S.H.and Henry Chapman's sale of the Ferguson Haines Collection, October 17-18, 1888. Offered was a particularly extensive group of Gobrecht dollars.
1836 Proof. G.GOBRECHT F. in field, Reverse, eagle amidst stars. Splendid Proof of this great rarity. $61.00.
1836 Same design. C. GOBRECHT on base of figure: EF. Very rare. $8.00.
1836 Same. VG. Nicked. Rare. $5.00. 1836 Same. Good. Rare. $5.00.
1838 Liberty Seated, 13 stars in field. Reverse, eagle in plain field. Edge milled. Proof. Field before figure frosted. Excessively rare and rapidly advancing in price, $100 being asked. $57.00.
1838 Another. Splendid Proof of this great rarity. A minute. nick on edge. $54.50.
1839 Same design. EF, has been a Proof. Very sharp impression, Very rare. $31.50.
1839 Same. VF. Slight dent on edge. Very rare. $26.00. 1839 Same. VG. Very rare. $20.00.
The Robert Coulton Davis Collection, sold by the New York Stamp & Coin Co., January 20-24, 1890, included these pieces:
1836 GOBRECHT in field; faint hay marks, otherwise fine Proof; very rare. $42.00.
1836 GOBRECHT on base of pedestal; small nick at right elbow; fine Proof. Rare. $10.00.
1838 Reverse light nick; otherwise fine Proof very rare. $68.50.
1839 Very fine Proof; very rare. $45.00.
Charles Steigerwalt's fixed price list, April 1892, had two Gobrecht dollars:
1836 Flying eagle. Good. $7.50.
1839 EF. $35.00.
Ed. Frossard's sale of the W.M. Friesner Collection, June 7-8, 1894 (Frossard's 125th sale). Offered were the following Gobrecht dollars. .
1836 Liberty Seated, C. GOBRECHT at base; reverse, flying eagle in field of 26 stars. Br. Proof; rare. $9.25.
1836 Liberty Seated. Same as last, but C. COBRECHT in the field. Br. Proof; extremely rare. $43.00.
1838 Liberty Seated in semi-circle of 13 stars; reverse, flying eagle, without stars in field. Reeded edge, Br. Proof. Extremely rare. $66.00.
1839 Same type. Reeded edge, Br. Proof. Very rare. $39.50.
Ed. Frossard's sale of the New Jersey Collection, March 8, 1898, contained these three Gobrecht dollars:
1836 Small nick on edge; EF. $7.00. 1836 VF. $6.30.
1839 Type last described, reeded edge. Fine, but large date 1880 punched across obverse. $7.10.
New York Coin & Stamp Company sale of the "Richard Collection," June 30, 1899, offered these:
1836 Flying eagle. Sharp, perfect Proof. $12.00.
1838 Flying eagle. Sharp, perfect Proof. $126.00.
1839 Flying eagle. Sharp, perfect Proof. $54.00.