1871 Pattern Gold Dollar. Judd-1161, Pollock-1303. Rarity-8. Copper. Reeded Edge. Proof-65 RB (PCGS).Struck from the same dies as the regular issue 1871 gold dollar. A gorgeous Gem, both sides exhibit light lilac-brown iridescence to surfaces that retain plenty of original rose-orange color. Fully struck with appreciable semi-reflective tendencies evident in the fields as the coin dips into a light. Small, shallow strikethroughs in the field before Libertys chin and on the cheek are as made. These features are seen on both examples of Judd-1161 that we are offering in this sale, which strongly suggests that they were produced by foreign matter (grease?) adhering to the obverse die at the time these coins were struck. More useful for tracing the provenance of the present specimen is a tiny, inoffensive carbon spot at the obverse border outside the first letter T in STATES. As with so many similar patterns from the 1860s and 1870s Judd-1161, although traditionally described as a die trial striking of the 1871 gold dollar, was actually produced deliberately for sale to contemporary collectors as part of off-metal Proof sets. The website uspatterns.com estimates that only a half dozen or so examples of Judd-1161 are extant, confirming the fleeting nature of the present offering for the advanced collector.From the Samuel J. Berngard Collection. Ex Colonel E.H.R. Green; Green estate; partnership of Eric P. Newman and Burdette G. Johnson, doing business as St. Louis Stamp & Coin Co.; Eric P. Newman, acquired for $50; Eric P. Newman Numismatic Education Society; Heritages sale of the Eric P. Newman Collection, April 2013, lot 3997.
