What is the point of a "paper-backed splasher" and are they commonly seen in the marketpla

Longacre

I have never heard of these before, until I starting reading more about patterns. It seems that these are uniface die trials which are backed by paper. Supposedly many of these were made by pouring lead or other white metal alloy onto newsprint, and then pressing the die into the metal after it cooled slightly, but was still soft.

Has anyone seen these in person, and how fragile are they? Also, how is the value determined? Are there different levels of quality/grade, like with other regular coins? Also, how do these fit into slabs?

RKKay

I've seen a few. They are more fragile than a normal coin. I believe the reason for them was just convenience.

Shamika

<< <i> I believe the reason for them was just convenience. >>


It also allows you to make an impression with a die BEFORE it's heat treated.

Pistareen

Most folks call them cliches (with an accent aigu over the e). Jefferson, and thus probably Jean-Pierre Droz and Augustin Dupre, called them eprueves (with the same accent on the first e).

Splashers is the most useful term, though, because it says what it really is -- a splash of hot metal that suddenly cools. You can heat soft type metal (pretty much just pewter or "white metal") on a kitchen stove or a hotplate. Basically you take a piece of paper, pour a dollop of super-soft molten metal out, push your die in, and -- voila! -- a cooled splasher is finished in a few seconds. The paper is pretty much there just so you don't scorch your tabletop.

I love splashers, since they were poured by the engraver/sculptor himself (or herself). Some are called "progress proofs" -- these are impressions from the die when it is not yet done. Like Shamika said, a not-yet-hardened die could be damaged if it was struck in something hard, but pushing it into a splash of molten pewter is pretty harmless.

These things are extremely rare because 1) they are fragile and 2) they were not meant to be saved.

1) Fragile, yes. Crumbling in your hand, no. I keep mine in stiff cardboard envelopes and they're just fine. I wouldn't chew on it or try to fold it, but as long as it is handled carefully it will not fall apart.

2) They were just a temporary, even momentary, way to see what a product would look like if the die was ready to make a finished product. The earliest ones I've seen are French, ca. 1770. The US Mint was using the technique through the 1870s or so.

To answer your other questions -- yes I've seen them in person and yes I have seen one slabbed. NGC slabbed a Standard Silver half dollar splasher that an ANR client discovered and consigned to us. I do not believe they graded it. Value is a function of supply and demand like anything else. I own a splasher made in 1787 by famed French sculptor/engraver/inventor Jean-Pierre Droz that I think I paid $120 for. I also handled splashers made for the 1790 Diplomatic Medal (made for the US govt in France) that were worth about $10K each. Most are in the middle.

In my opinion, US pattern splashers are vastly undervalued when compared to their rarity and history. Of course, they're not as pretty as a toned Amazonian quarter. But there are no guarantees the engraver ever handled an Amazonian quarter, which is downright common by comparison!