Interesting piece and strictly speaking not a pattern. It was just something created for a collector or other VIP. They had been striking pieces in aluminum since 1863 so it wasn't a case of testing a new alloy, and the designs are the regular issue dies so they weren't testing a new design. Some people call something like this a "die trial" but one, they don't really "try" dies, they just put them in production and they either work or the don't. And two "trying" a die on something other than what it is going to be striking doesn't really tell you anything about how the die will perform when used on the appropriate material. All it does is create a numismatic delicacy that can be peddled for profit or influence.
Posted 01/20/2013 1:30 pm
