1903 Gold Dollar Pattern in Cardboard

Zoins · January 2, 2017 1:01PM

Just ran across this on Mike Byers' MintErrorNews and HA.

This has obverse die trial pattern and a reverse design pattern strikes.

This cardboard pattern sold for $34,500. Has this made it into PCGS plastic?

I have to say I'm a big fan of Mike's website and PDF magazine. So much eye candy in there.

RogerB · January 2, 2017 1:11PM

Very nice! This is mentioned in archival documents (see "Renaissance of American Coinage 1909-1915"). The pasteboard was dampened, then pressed nearly dry before the dies were squeezed into the paper with a small hand press (like the ones notaries used to use). These were fast ways to check dies and also cheap and secure ways to show the design to others without hardening dies or risking the work to metal. $34k is quite a price, too!

DNADave · January 2, 2017 1:22PM

Somebody at NGC needs a sharper exacto knife and a straight edge.

Zoins · January 2, 2017 1:23PM

Great info Roger! I was wondering about the reason to create these. Are there any photos of these hand presses?

Was the reverse pattern die ever used to strike metal? I can't find a reference to one.

oih82w8 · January 2, 2017 1:35PM

Mike Byers has some very drool-worthy stuff...like the OP piece!

AmazonX · January 2, 2017 3:08PM

A quick dip will bring out the luster and make it shine even better

Lakesammman · January 2, 2017 10:38PM

The asking prices are so high, it makes me wonder if he's ever sold anything?

pruebas · January 2, 2017 10:54PM

Wow, I've got some cardboard patterns of Mexico. I guess I should send them to NGC. I had no idea they could be slabbed....

ricko · January 3, 2017 5:48AM

That is very interesting.... have not seen this before. Thanks for the information Roger.... Cheers, RickO

ChangeInHistory · January 3, 2017 7:37AM

Thats really cool.

TopographicOceans · January 3, 2017 8:27AM

That's just strange

asheland · January 3, 2017 9:13AM

Very cool!

Unknown · January 3, 2017 12:11PM

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Zoins · January 3, 2017 12:12PM

@afford said:
Cool exonumia, not worth the asking price imho.

$34,500 is what it sold for at auction on HA at Baltimore 2008 Lot 2166. It's not the asking price.

pruebas · January 3, 2017 12:16PM

@afford said:
Cool exonumia, not worth the asking price imho.

Why not? They are still patterns regardless of what they are struck on.

Maybe being struck on something non-metallic makes them less valuable than they would be if struck on a metallic planchet. But they are definitely US Mint products, pattern dies, and rare.

In some cases (not sure of this particular case, but in the case of my Mexican cardboard patterns) they are the only known strikes of particular pattern dies--none exist in any metal.

LoveMyLiberty · January 3, 2017 2:32PM

Included in the Book "United States Pattern Coins" 10th Edition
Edited by Q. David Bowers there are several items listed in the back
pages Appendix A: Die & Hub trials & Splashers that refer to the topic
of this thread.
Page 290 mentions that "while most trials were struck in metals such as
copper, white metal, or lead, some are in other substances, including
cardboard & red wax."
Most of these listed items have pics and nearly all were assigned Judd numbers.

Pg. 296 J-A1849-3 shows an 1849 gold dollar obv. & rev. pressed into a thin
piece of cardboard. Two specimens are in the Library Company of Philadelphia.
J-A1851-1 is a 3 cent piece, obv. & rev. on thin cardboard, two are known &
are also in the Library Company of Philadelphia.

Pg. 306 J-A1876-1 is an 1876 obv. die trial of J-1462 pressed in cardboard.
J-A1876-2 is the sil. dol. rev of this item in Red Wax. Both from the Clarence S.
Bement Coll. lot 163.
J-A1877-2 is a half Dollar obv. of just the portrait from the J-1501 example &
is in Red Wax.

Pg. 309 J-A1893-1 is an Isabella Quarter Dollar obv. for the World's Columbian
Expo. on cardboard, with a second cardboard with citation that this is the 1st
striking of the die & was received from Superintendent Bosbyshell of the
Philadelphia Mint. J-A1893-2 is the rev. on cardboard.

J-A1903-1 are impressions of gold dollars, obv. & rev. of both Jefferson & McKinley
with eight strikings on a single cardboard that is in the Smithsonian.
There is a second example, ex Bowers & Merena Galleries, 11/1997, from the
Pennsylvania Collectiion, that has both obverses & one pattern reverse on it.

J-A1904-1 the Lewis & Clark Exposition Gold Dollar obv. & rev. on cardboard
that is in the Smithsonian Institution.

My guess is there were many, many cardboard die impressions made, but most
all were lost & destroyed, as were the red wax & newspaper lead splashers.
What a loss to research.

Interesting history items from the Mint and very sought after.

P.S. Roger W. Burdette is mentioned a scaskillion times in this book,,,Humm.

RogerB · January 3, 2017 2:38PM

@DNADave said:
Somebody at NGC needs a sharper exacto knife and a straight edge.

The paperboard pieces were of so little value to the Engraver that they were commonly cut with scissors or a sharp knife from old packing material and scraps. The irregular shape is commonplace. A geometrically perfect piece raises suspicion of tampering or fakery.

Zoins · January 3, 2017 3:35PM

@LoveMyLiberty said:
My guess is there were many, many cardboard die impressions made, but most all were lost & destroyed, as were the red wax & newspaper lead splashers.
What a loss to research.

Interesting history items from the Mint and very sought after.

The interesting thing about collectibles is that it's often the things that aren't collectible and neglected that become collectible over time.

Broadstruck · January 4, 2017 3:24PM

I'm surprised they slabbed that as I could see that more so in a currency holder.

Zoins · January 5, 2017 11:22PM

@Broadstruck said:
I'm surprised they slabbed that as I could see that more so in a currency holder.

It's more coin related and it fits. As a coin pattern, it would be out of place in a currency holder with other coin patterns in slabs.

Zoins · August 21, 2021 10:08AM

Update the thread with larger images from our friends at Heritage:

1903 Gold Dollar Pattern in Cardboard

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