Walter Breen
- *Large letters. Really a pattern or experimental piece, by A.C. Paquet after Longacre, but as the discovery specimen (Judd 224) is in ANS, ex J. Pierpont Morgan (1908), not originally distinguished from the regular issues, it is possible that other examples might be discovered identified only as "1858 proof gold dollar". Larger head in lower relief, placed lower in field; larger broad-faced letters in legend; heavier rim and borders; rev. broader faced 1, taller letters in DOLLAR similar to the style of obv. lettering, broad faced numerals in lower relief. This coin is probably ex J. Colvin Randall, Philadelphia; lot 472 of E. Cogan's sale of March 29, 1882, as part of an 1858 proof set! Note also that Ben G. Green's 1902 Numismatic Reference and Check Book lists the variety, not as a pattern, but as a rare variety of regular issue; possibly he had seen the piece. Pictured in Judd and in Howland Wood: The Gold Dollars of 1858 ... ANS, N.N.&M. 12, 1922.
Quarter Eagle. Date high, to left, as on one variety of business strikes. Chapman claimed that only five proofs were extant. This was a very reasonable guess. (1) Smithsonian. (2) ANS. (3) Eliasberg, ex Clapp. (4) Brand-Ira Reed-Gaskill: 294. (5) Ex Woodin: 1000, ex Parmelee. One of these reappeared in LM 9/67:334. There is also at least one impaired piece which was offered to me many years ago, and at least one more (possibly 2 or 3) in reasonably choice state.
Three Dollars. *B-2. Obv. differs from 1856-7 proofs: serifs of (M) E very thin; three minute die file marks from back of head. Incomplete feather on forward edge of headdress. Rev. Date slants down to r., as on business strikes. (1) SI. (2) ANS, ex Brock, Morgan. (3) Eliasberg. (4) Garrett:396, $14,000. (5) Boston Museum of Fine Arts, 1976 ANA:2886, $12,000. (6) Wolfson: 282. (7) Grant Pierce: 1244, C. Jay:276, impaired. (8) Merkin 11/65:322, impaired, poorly cleaned. Cf. also KS 4/59:2636. One of the choice ones is presumably ex Parmelee: 1293, Woodin, and/or WGC:273, "Memorable":244. Three or four others are floating around, at least one in a complete set (minus the 1870 S of course), whose proofs begin with the 1858. The existence of more ones and threes than other gold proofs of this and some subsequent years suggests that a market for those individual denominations existed over and above the market for proof sets: ones because the smallest denominations, suitable for souvenir hunters, Christmas lists, and collectors unwilling or unable to afford complete sets; threes because of the very unusual denomination.
Half Eagle. *Date high, close to device – unusually so. (1) SI, ex Mint. (2) ANS, from Brock, Morgan set. (3) Ten Eyck: 224, Clapp, Eliasberg. (4) Parmelee: 1292, Woodin, Newcomer, Boyd, WGC:412, "Memorable": 359, unknown intermediates, Ullmer: 446, $60,000, apparently the piece now in the Mocatta Metals reference collection, exhibited at 1976 ANA.
Eagle. *B-l. Normal die, curls at back of neck join neckline. Date large, a little r. of center (logotype as on half dollar), r. edge of final 8 almost in line with r. corner of truncation. (1) SI, from Mint. (2) ANS, from Brock, Morgan set, supposedly obtained from the Mint in 1858; to Morgan in 1908. (3) Mint, Parmelee, Parmelee:1292, Woodin: 1223, Newcomer, Boyd, WGC:663, Dr. Green: 530, Amon Carter, Amon Carter Jr. (4) Jewett:847, Col. Green, not since traced. The 9 or 10 business strikes -mostly well circulated -are from the B-2 dies: incomplete curls at back of neck, disconnected; 1 minutely above center of space between bust and border, its left base a little left of center of dentil; rev. TEN D. heavier than other letters, field striae slanting south-southeast.
Double Eagle. Left base of 1 about over left side of dentil ; final 8 apparently a little farther from border than is 1, but these positions may not be diagnostic. (1) SI, ex Mint. (2) ANS, ex Mint, Brock, Morgan. (3) Parmelee: 1291, Woodin: 1359, Newcomer, Boyd, WGC:861, "Memorable":684, present whereabouts unknown. No fourth specimen is reported.
Complete proof sets. The $46 price tag seems to have kept demand way down. Parmelee had a set, which was broken up (lots 1291 - 1301). Brock's set is preserved in ANS via the Morgan bequest, but it is distributed in date sets of individual denominations. The Mint's own set is preserved in the Smithsonian. There is no evidence of a fourth - because no fourth double eagle has ever been reported. This is not too enthusiasm-provoking a result for even the first year of widespread public sale; proof gold was caviar then as now. After the financial panic of 1857, evidently few collectors were willing to risk tying up their capital in proof gold coins.