TIL: The Quintuple Stella
Weiss
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Filling in the blanks for a friend today about obsolete US coinage (half cents, 2 cents, 3 cents, etc). Mentioned the Stella. Googled an image to send him and discovered the 1879 Quintuple Stella pattern. At first glance you might guess it was just a $20 gold piece, but the notation around the obverse edge and the motto on the reverse identify it.
Might be old news to some of you pattern guys, but I don't think I'd ever heard of it:
We are like children who look at print and see a serpent in the last letter but one, and a sword in the last.
--Severian the Lame
--Severian the Lame
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Comments
Wow... I was not aware of this one....Very nice.... Thanks for showing us. Cheers, RickO
Our hosts did an article on them a few years back. Only 5 examples exist, with one at the Smithsonian:
https://www.pcgs.com/news/magnificent-1879-quintuple-stella-stacks-bowers
--Severian the Lame
For those on a shoestring budget, 😉there are also copper examples. Here’s one of them:
https://coins.ha.com/itm/patterns/1879-20-metric-twenty-dollar-judd-1644-pollock-1844-low-r7-pr65-red-and-brown-pcgs-pcgs-72023-/a/1310-10331.s?ic4=ListView-ShortDescription-071515
Mark Feld* of Heritage Auctions*Unless otherwise noted, my posts here represent my personal opinions.
Obverse Motto: Deo Est Gloria = Glory to God?
Has this Motto shown up on other US Coins or Patterns?
its a fun numismatic conversation that leads one down the path to a $20 pattern stella!
bidding is open for one of the coppers. not sure if this is the one. just posting a TV.
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Cool stuff.
A new coin for me ... never seen one until now.
Neat! I believe I might have seen a picture of it somewhere but didn't know exactly what it was.
Collector
87 Positive BST transactions buying and selling with 53 members and counting!
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Info and rosters for 5 gold and 10 copper examples known:
https://uspatterns.stores.yahoo.net/j1643p1843.html
The index by date to all US Patterns is under Research Center / Pattern Concordance:
https://uspatterns.stores.yahoo.net/patcon.html
the reverse motto DEO EST GLORIA> @ThreeCentSilverFL said:
Yes, the $4 stellas, of course, but also the goloid pattern dollars of 1879-1880. Too bad it never showed up on regular issue coins.
Pacific Northwest Numismatic Association
I've heard of it, but it's hard for me to consider it a Stella without the coiled or flowing hair!
Drooled all over the example at the Eliasberg sale in 1996 - very cool pattern! It sold relatively cheap compared to current prices realized.
Here's the Eliasberg coin. I got to play with it (under close supervision) at an ANA show several years ago. I put it in my 2014 calendar.
Keeper of the VAM Catalog • Professional Coin Imaging • Prime Number Set • World Coins in Early America • British Trade Dollars • Variety Attribution
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now THAT is the image i was looking for, seriously. i knew i should have tried hacking searching your database first!
do you have a MAX version? well that you're willing/able to share anyway.
Thanks!