1836 Gobrecht Silver Dollar. Name on Base. Judd-60 Original, Pollock-65. Rarity-1. Dannreuther Reverse Die State D. Silver. Plain Edge. Die Alignment I. Proof-62 (ANACS). This is a satisfying and desirable example of the rare Judd-60 Original striking with dies by Gobrecht. A pale lilac patina paints the surfaces and erupts with golden iridescence under a light source. The fields are watery and reflective, subtly contrasting with the satiny devices and most dramatically so on the reverse. Impressively sharp across all elements and without any individual distractions. Silver dollar production was suspended in 1803 after the value of the silver exceeded the coins face value. While proposals to resurrect the coin started as early as 1831, it was not until 1835 that any serious attempt was made. Christian Gobrecht was directed to prepare a set of pattern dies based on designs by Titian Peale and Thomas Sully. The result was a coin widely considered one of the classics of American numismatics with its beautiful representation of Seated Liberty on the obverse and majestic soaring eagle on the reverse. Initial production started in 1836 and continued in some fashion through 1839. Decades later, a series of restrikes were made beginning in the 1850s and carried through at least to the 1870s. While often considered a pattern, contemporary accounts provide some degree of evidence that these initial coins were actually intended for circulation. The first examples of the design have no stars on the obverse and have Gobrechts name prominent at the base of Libertys rock that was later removed as being too presumptuous. The coins are known in four die alignments, two in so-called Coin Turn (head to toe) and two in Medal Turn.This is among the scarcest of the original coinage with only an estimated 100 pieces coined in March 1837. For generations, the precise timeline of the issue sequence based on die alignment has been in dispute, but recent scholarship by John Dannreuther, Craig Sholley, and Saul Teichman have indicated that the correct sequence of all the Judd 60 dollars is I-IV-II-IV-I-IV with all the die alignment III pieces being later restrikes. The pieces are listed as Proofs but most examples show signs of extensive wear from time in commerce. A perennial favorite for generations, Gobrecht silver dollars remain as popular now as ever and are in constant demand from not only silver dollar specialists but also type collectors and pattern aficionados. Opportunities to obtain a specimen from one of the rarest die alignments are few and very far between. A strong bidding strategy is well advised.
