How do pattern coins get into the hands of collectors?
stev32k
Posts: 2,098 ✭✭✭
I see pattern coins from time-to-time and wonder how collectors come by them. I've never seen the mint selling them - they just seem to show up for sale. How does this happen?
Who is General Failure, and why is he reading my hard drive?
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<< <i>I see pattern coins from time-to-time and wonder how collectors come by them. I've never seen the mint selling them - they just seem to show up for sale. How does this happen? >>
I bet the U.S.S.S. would like to know the anwser to your question.
Tim
Go here.
Specializing in 1854 and 1855 large FE patterns
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Coin's for sale/trade.
Tom Pilitowski
US Rare Coin Investments
800-624-1870
That's because you were born in the 20th century. Times change.
edited to say that tmot99 may be on to something, though...
Doggedly collecting coins of the Central American Republic.
Visit the Society of US Pattern Collectors at USPatterns.com.
In the nineteenth century the mint didn't consider patterns to be all that important and were basicly considered officially to be just so much bullion. And if you reimbured the bullion fund for the metal in the pattern you could have it. And during a long period in the middle of the 19th century collctors could just write to the mint and request patterns, paying for the bullion and a few cents for the "proofing fee", and if they didn't have any, but did have the dies, they would go ahead and strike one up for you.
Another method by which they got out was from pieces distributed to legislators considering changes in the desins. In some cases they would request extras. One favorite story is that the 1879 stellas were reqested in such large numers because they became a favored gift from Congressman and Senators to favored female companions rom the Washington DC red light district. The beginning of the end of his came in 1885 when a Congressman found out a another congressman had a proof set all in alumnum and decided he wanted one too. But in this case for some reason the mint turned him down. This angered him and steps began to be taken to close down the distuobution of patterns.
Another source of patterns were personal collections of Mint Directors and Superintendents. Linderman's collection was full of pattern, fantasies and other "delicacies" (Including a restike 1804 dollar.) (This tradition contnued into the 20th century as well. Not with patterns but with errors and other rarities that shouldn't exist. Most notably the collection of Chief Engraver Sinnock which contained matte proofs of many of the commemorative halves which were NOT issued or previously known to exist as proofs. And while the mint was maintaining that there were no 1943 copper cents, the Sinnock collection did contain at least one specimen.)
The source of the bulk of the available patterns though came about because of two pattern 1877 50 dollar gold pieces. These were thought to have been destroyed back in 1877, but years later when they were purchased by Woodin (?) for$10,000 an outcry boiled up over how these pieces, which should have been US property had gotten out. Eventually a deal was worked out for their return and in exchange Woodin received several TRUNKS full of pattern coins that were still in the mint hands.
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<< <i>I own one, but very confusing, Might be a Pattern, A 1863 One Cent (CIVIL WAR), NOT an Indian Head Cent. >>
Got a pic? Could be a privately issued civil war token rather than a pattern.
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"Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
"Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire