1836 First Steam Coinage Medal. Mar 23/Feb 22 Date. Bronzed Copper. 28 mm. By Christian Gobrecht. Julian MT-21b. Proof-66 (PCGS).Flawless mahogany-brown patina with no distractions at all on this fully Gem Proof specimen. The surfaces are satiny, hard and otherwise smooth in hand, and the eye appeal is strong in all regards. This is the second state of the reverse die, the overdate, corrected from the original Feb. 22 date. Originally it was intended to hold the ceremony marking the Mints first coinage with the stream press on George Washingtons birthday, always an important national event. However, the coining press was not ready by that time and the ceremony actually took place on March 23. A complete collection of Mint and Treasury medals would include examples of the original date, the overdate, and the corrected date varieties - all cataloged as MT-21 by Julian.
