Home U.S. Coin Forum

Open for Discussion - - Goloid for US Coins

1630Boston1630Boston Posts: 13,772 ✭✭✭✭✭
edited June 29, 2022 10:00AM in U.S. Coin Forum

William Wheeler Hubbell
Biography [from NNP]
Born in Philadelphia. Read law and was admitted to the Philadelphia bar. He handled patent cases. Married Elizabeth Catherine with eight children.

In 1857 he was stricken with "National Hotel disease," in a case of arsenic poisoning. He invented fuses used to good effect during the Civil War.

He patented Goloid, a mixture of gold, silver and copper, on May 22, 1877, and proposed it for U. S. coins. The Mint struck trial coins but rejected the proposal because it was difficult to tell the difference between Goloid and silver coins.

He died on his farm in Virginia.




Goloid is an alloy of silver, gold and copper patented by Dr. William Wheeler Hubbell on May 22, 1877 (U.S. patent #191,146). The patent specifies 1 part gold (about 3.6%), 24 parts silver (about 87.3%), and 2.5 parts copper (about 9.1%, all by weight); however, the patent also states that "The proportions may be slightly varied" and goes on to specify that the silver portion can range from 20 times to 30 times that of the gold, and the copper could range from one-eighth to one-twelfth (from 12.5% to 8.33%) of the total mixture.

Successful transactions with : MICHAELDIXON, Manorcourtman, Bochiman, bolivarshagnasty, AUandAG, onlyroosies, chumley, Weiss, jdimmick, BAJJERFAN, gene1978, TJM965, Smittys, GRANDAM, JTHawaii, mainejoe, softparade, derryb

Bad transactions with : nobody to date

Comments

  • thebeavthebeav Posts: 3,744 ✭✭✭✭✭

    It looks like a great material for coin composition.
    We would need larger denomination coins in order to use it though.
    Sure beats the copper, brass and manganese of a Sacagawea or president dollar !

  • FlyingAlFlyingAl Posts: 2,831 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited June 29, 2022 11:39AM

    Edit: I was wrong, it failed because there was no way to distinguish it from .900 silver coins, and the native silver used to strike the coins would have gold impurities, thus ruining the balance of the alloy.

    Young Numismatist, Coin Photographer.

  • moursundmoursund Posts: 3,207 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Maybe if it had a catchier name than 'goloid'.. Should have called it 'mithril'.

    100th pint of blood donated 7/19/2022 B) . Transactions with WilliamF, Relaxn, LukeMarshal, jclovescoins, braddick, JWP, Weather11am, Fairlaneman, Dscoins, lordmarcovan, Collectorcoins, SurfinxHI, JimW. God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that who so believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life.
  • 1630Boston1630Boston Posts: 13,772 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Successful transactions with : MICHAELDIXON, Manorcourtman, Bochiman, bolivarshagnasty, AUandAG, onlyroosies, chumley, Weiss, jdimmick, BAJJERFAN, gene1978, TJM965, Smittys, GRANDAM, JTHawaii, mainejoe, softparade, derryb

    Bad transactions with : nobody to date

  • 1630Boston1630Boston Posts: 13,772 ✭✭✭✭✭

    14-Nov-2021 $4,320 Heritage Auctions 2021 November 11-14 U.S. Coins Signature Auction #1336
    .



    .
    1879 $1 Goloid Metric Dollar, Judd-1626, Pollock-1822, R.4, PR65+ PCGS. William Barber's design for the Goloid Metric dollar with a capped head of Liberty on the obverse, paired with a reverse that carries the statutory as well as elemental inscriptions. A circle of stars about the central inscriptions breaks the otherwise continuous wording. STATES is unevenly spaced, a minor diesinking error that is unusual for the era. Struck in goloid (a silver alloy that includes a small portion of gold) with a reeded edge. The surfaces are almost entirely brilliant and the fields are deeply mirrored on each side. A slight cameo effect is evident from the contrast between the mirrors and the mild mint frost over the devices.
    From The Pacific Rim Collection.

    Successful transactions with : MICHAELDIXON, Manorcourtman, Bochiman, bolivarshagnasty, AUandAG, onlyroosies, chumley, Weiss, jdimmick, BAJJERFAN, gene1978, TJM965, Smittys, GRANDAM, JTHawaii, mainejoe, softparade, derryb

    Bad transactions with : nobody to date

  • Namvet69Namvet69 Posts: 8,620 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Very interesting. The first Liberty is very attractive. The braided hair is particularly well done. Thanks for sharing. Peace Roy

    BST: endeavor1967, synchr, kliao, Outhaul, Donttellthewife, U1Chicago, ajaan, mCarney1173, SurfinHi, MWallace, Sandman70gt, mustanggt, Pittstate03, Lazybones, Walkerguy21D, coinandcurrency242 , thebigeng, Collectorcoins, JimTyler, USMarine6, Elkevvo, Coll3ctor, Yorkshireman, CUKevin, ranshdow, CoinHunter4, bennybravo, Centsearcher, braddick, Windycity, ZoidMeister, mirabela, JJM, RichURich, Bullsitter, jmski52

  • LanceNewmanOCCLanceNewmanOCC Posts: 19,999 ✭✭✭✭✭

    nice thread, info, presentation etc.

    LOVE the obv of coin in the op.

    i do like the informative rev, more or less. this is what patterns were for, testing, creativity, looking for better/more optimal solutions, etc. (perhaps some neat collectables and showcasing of talent)

    i'm guessing that particular amalgamation of metals had to do with the values at that time as it seems a bit random to me, not being an expert in such matters. i do understand from decade to decade, certain metals were not feasable to be used/considered for actual coinage so that may give context to why these in particular at that time were considered and in the quantities chosen.

    since the morgan dollar was successfully and well on its way by this point, 1880s, without some legit reason(s) to come up with new dollar patterns would seem a bit out of place. i could think of a few but it would still be a stretch.

    tbh, i'd rather have these discussions weekly about the coinage, designs, compositions, varieties, variations, marriages etc than some of the stuff we've relegated to recently (including myself). arguing with trolls, new members, 100 ebay counterfeit tracking threads etc doesn't hold a candle to these kinds of threads. imo @Zoins

    <--- look what's behind the mask! - cool link 1/NO ~ 2/NNP ~ 3/NNC ~ 4/CF ~ 5/PG ~ 6/Cert ~ 7/NGC 7a/NGC pop~ 8/NGCF ~ 9/HA archives ~ 10/PM ~ 11/NM ~ 12/ANACS cert ~ 13/ANACS pop - report fakes 1/ACEF ~ report fakes/thefts 1/NCIS - Numi-Classes SS ~ Bass ~ Transcribed Docs NNP - clashed coins - error training - V V mm styles -

  • 1630Boston1630Boston Posts: 13,772 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited June 29, 2022 4:03PM

    .

    Successful transactions with : MICHAELDIXON, Manorcourtman, Bochiman, bolivarshagnasty, AUandAG, onlyroosies, chumley, Weiss, jdimmick, BAJJERFAN, gene1978, TJM965, Smittys, GRANDAM, JTHawaii, mainejoe, softparade, derryb

    Bad transactions with : nobody to date

  • 1630Boston1630Boston Posts: 13,772 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @LanceNewmanOCC said:
    nice thread, info, presentation etc.

    tbh, i'd rather have these discussions weekly about the coinage, designs, compositions, varieties, variations, marriages etc than some of the stuff we've relegated to recently (including myself). arguing with trolls, new members, 100 ebay counterfeit tracking threads etc doesn't hold a candle to these kinds of threads. imo @Zoins

    Well said @LanceNewmanOCC :)

    Successful transactions with : MICHAELDIXON, Manorcourtman, Bochiman, bolivarshagnasty, AUandAG, onlyroosies, chumley, Weiss, jdimmick, BAJJERFAN, gene1978, TJM965, Smittys, GRANDAM, JTHawaii, mainejoe, softparade, derryb

    Bad transactions with : nobody to date

  • rickoricko Posts: 98,724 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @1630Boston ... Thanks for an interesting thread. Nice pictures of the Goloids as well. Cheers, RickO

  • jesbrokenjesbroken Posts: 9,151 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Very nice thread, @1630Boston Informative and a subject I was only vaguely aware of without details.
    Thanks,
    Jim


    When a man who is honestly mistaken hears the truth, he will either quit being mistaken or cease to be honest....Abraham Lincoln

    Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it.....Mark Twain

Leave a Comment

BoldItalicStrikethroughOrdered listUnordered list
Emoji
Image
Align leftAlign centerAlign rightToggle HTML viewToggle full pageToggle lights
Drop image/file