The production of silver dollars in the U.S started in the 1790s but then stopped at the beginning of the 1800s. It later came back in the 1830s with the production of a silver dollar meant to be used by citizens daily.
The dollar got its name from a medalist from Philadelphia known as Christian Gobrecht. The coin’s debut was in 1836, and it entered circulation. The silver dollar coinage was somewhat of an experiment and was first distributed to some government officials to approve. Later on, the designers sought the public’s opinion, and many did not like the initial design that had Gobrecht’s name on it. Robert Patterson, the mint director, decided to keep the name but change its size and placement because Gobrecht was the artist behind that work.
The Gobrecht Dollar Background
The Gobrecht dollar was created and designed by a team of artists from Philadelphia. The group included Christian Gobrecht, Thomas Sully, Titian Peale, and Robert Patterson, the Mint director in charge of the team. Before the final design became official, there were deliberations among the team members and opinions from officials in the government and the general public.
The first idea was a soaring eagle, which the team thought would help differentiate the coin from other coins that had the heraldic eagle. The Mint’s pet eagle that Gobrecht drew inspiration from to come up with the design died before completion, forcing him to rely on rough concept sketches. After soliciting the public opinion and getting negative feedback about Gobrecht’s name that Patterson had decided to include in the design, he changed the name size and placement, and the coin began circulation.
Since that first coin, various other design changes came up, and the silver composition standard changed from 89.2% to 90%. In 1839, C. Gobrecht’s name was off the design, which now had stars on the same obverse design.
The Types and Varieties
There are different categories of the Gobrecht dollar. These are circulation and original issues, restrikes, and patterns, which were struck in two different orientations: medal turn orientation and coin turn orientation. The best way to explain that is that the eagle on the reverse is either upside down or on the right side when you turn the coin. The upside-down is the medal turn, and the right side up is the coin turn.
The Gobrecht dollar also has two primary die alignments, one where the eagle is flying upward or one where the eagle is level. Today, the coins are sought after for their historical value and scarcity. It is hard to find a high-grade Gobrecht dollar anywhere today. Most of them are also in worn-out conditions because they did go into circulation.
Conclusion
The Gobrecht dollar coin has a great story attached to it, which most people either misunderstand or do not know. A lot of work went into making the coin, and the effort of the people involved is something to be praised and remembered. If you come across a Gobrecht dollar today, you will know its value based on its story.