1836 Pattern Gold Dollar. Judd-67, Pollock-70. Rarity-5. Gold. Plain Edge. Proof-66+ Cameo (PCGS). CAC. Obv: A glory or sunburst surrounds a liberty cap in a design similar to that appearing on certain coins of the Republic of Mexico. The word LIBERTY is inscribed on the band of the cap. Rev: A coiled palm frond encircles the denomination 1 D. with the legend UNITED STATES OF AMERICA around the border and the date 1836 below. A vibrant sandy-gold patina saturates each side of this majestic Gem. The design elements are uniformly bold and nicely lustrous throughout, lacking even the slightest disturbance atop the vulnerable regions. Deep and watery reflectivity floods the serene fields and evokes a moderate cameo effect on both sides. Thoroughly radiant and captivating to experience in-hand. Identifiable by a mint-made flaw in the field near U of UNITED. The designs are attributed to Christian Gobrecht. In 1836 Congress was considering the issuance of a gold dollar to compete with the private issue of gold dollars minted by Christopher Bechtler in Rutherford County, North Carolina. Evidently, gold dollars were a popular denomination in the Carolinas and Georgia, where over the course of a few decades several different die varieties were produced to the delight of modern day numismatists. Although the congressional bill that eventually became the Act of January 18, 1837 provided for the issuance of gold dollars, this provision was deleted prior to passage because of opposition from Mint Director Robert Maskell Patterson. Although federal gold dollars probably would have been gratefully received in the South, none were minted until 1849. This survivor is certainly one of the finest known and just 1 has been certified finer by PCGS.
