An 1836 Pattern Gold Dollar For You Grading Consideration

I don't collect a lot of patterns, but this is one those rare exceptions. I have long enjoyed gold dollars and their history.

The dies for this piece were made during the same time as the Gobrecht dollars. There was support for the gold dollar as well as the resumption of the silver dollar, which had not been made since 1804. (Note the silver dollars dated 1804 were made in 1834 and beyond. None were struck in 1804.)

Mint Director Robert Patterson did not like these small coins. He thought that the issuance of small gold pieces, like a gold dollar, cast a negative image on the countries that issued them. I his mind tiny gold coins made a country look small and second rate. Nevertheless his boss, the secretary of the treasury, wanted some pattern gold dollars to be made, and so they were struck. The design was obviously "borrowed" from the Mexican coinage. The gold dollar was not issued for general circulation this time, but Patterson would lose the argument 13 years later.

These coins were made in 1836 and for some years after that. It is impossible to tell if this coin was part of the original issue or was made years later. At any rate this is the most common pattern gold coin that is made of gold. All of these coins were struck as Proofs, so adjust you grades accordingly.