1836 First Steam Coinage Medal. Bronze. 27 mm. By Christian Gobrecht. Julian MT-21. MS-65 BN (NGC).A delightful specimen we are happy to be offering again after five years. We reprint our original cataloging below: Obverse Design: The central design is of a Liberty cap inscribed LIBERTY and surrounded by a series of glory rays. Reverse Design: For the reverse Mint Engraver Christian Gobrecht placed in the central reverse the following legend, FIRST / STEAM / COINAGE / MAR. 23 and around the periphery is UNITED STATES MINT / 1836. Struck coin turn, with curved lines accenting the word COINAGE. Stops before and after the date. Surfaces: Gorgeous reflective surfaces show a blend of copper-brown with teal traces when examined under a light. Free of any handling marks or spots, and as nice as this medal is ever found. The strike is sharp throughout as the new steam press was finally ready for coinage after many years of planning. Commentary: This is the second state of the die, corrected from the Feb. 22 date. Originally it was intended to hold the ceremony on George Washingtons birthday, always an important national event. However, the coining press wasn’t ready and the ceremony actually took place on March 23. A "complete" collection would include examples of both dates. Nonetheless, this extraordinary medal serves admirably to punctuate the end of the earlier Matron Head cent designs and signal the ascension of Christian Gobrecht as Mint Engraver and his "Gobrecht Head" cent designs to follow.From the Howard B. Teich Collection. Earlier from our Louis E. Eliasberg, Jr. Estate and Chester L. Krause Collection sale, March 2010, lot 409; The Cardinal Collection Educational Foundation; our January 2013 American sale, lot 13050.
