Q. David Bowers
Varieties
Business strikes:
1. Normal Date: Breen-5447. One obverse and three reverse dies were made. Business strikes, most often seen in grades of EF to AU, are from only one reverse die. Walter H. Breen describes it: "Earlier impressions show many nearly horizontal and fewer slanting die file marks within the reverse white stripes of shield; later strikings (after die repolish?) show none of these, only one minute spur from right edge of rightmost (sixth) pale gules or 'red' stripe." The typical original shows numerous vertical shield stripe elements extending above and into the horizontal stripes, and below and through the outside of the shield border; this is very distinctive.
Description of the Floyd T. Starr Collection:595 (Stack's, October 1992): Obverse: Die striae on obverse oriented in a direction parallel to the top of Miss Liberty's left leg. "Beard" on Liberty's chin. "Raindrop" circular ring dot on Miss Liberty's left forearm. Reverse: Shield lines as described above; first five vertical white spaces have considerable prooflike area, sixth has some prooflike area, seventh has none. Diagonal die striae extending at about a 45° angle from upper left to lower right.
Proofs:
1. Proof issue: Breen-5447. Obverse: The same die used on all Proof issues, those identified as originals as well as restrikes. Reverse: Traces of doubling on crossbar of E of UNITED. Shield filled with irregular die file marks except for a mirrorlike triangular section in the leftmost white stripe, where a brilliant surface is seen. Claws and arrows are all separated (unlike the Proof reverses used in 1850).
2. Proof issue: Obverse: As preceding. Reverse of 1840-1850 (described under 1840). Apparently extremely rare. The American Numismatic Society's specimen (ex J.P. Morgan Collection) is from this die pair. Walter H. Breen suggests that restrikes may have been coined from this die combination.
3. Proof issue: Obverse: As preceding. Reverse with diagonal line slanting from upper left to lower right through first five white stripes of shield: Apparently, impressions from this die pair are rare. It is uncertain if impressions from this combination are originals or restrikes.
4. Restrike Proof issue: Breen-5448. Obverse: As preceding. Reverse: The reverse of 1858-1859 in its later state (see description under the 1851 restrike above). Possibly struck slightly earlier than the 1851 restrike from the same reverse. A few copper strikings exist (Judd-134).
5. Restrike Proof issue: Obverse: As preceding.
Reverse: No.1 of the 1851 Proof restrike dollar. Leftmost vertical shield stripe elements (consisting of three closely spaced lines) taper downward in relief just before touching the bottom horizontal line. Flat areas within shield only partially polished.
6. Restrike Proof issue: Obverse: As preceding. Reverse: No 2 of the 1851 Proof restrike dollar. Cf. Carter, Norweb coins.
Note: It is unlikely that six different reverse dies were used to coin Proof 1852 dollars; possibly, some of the preceding listings are duplications.