Q. David Bowers
About October 1, Thomas Sully sent Patterson three rough sketches of the proposed seated figure, but by this time the instructions had been modified so that Liberty's left hand was holding the pole and her right hand rested on the shield. The director chose the best of the three and gave it to Christian Gobrecht to make a copper plate engraving from which prints might be taken and shown around.(QDB note: Illustrations published in Don Taxay's U.S. Mint and Coinage, p. 172, would seem to indicate that both Thomas Sully and Titian Peale designed Liberty Seated motifs for the coinage, and that elements from both of their designs appeared in Gobrecht's final rendition.)
Gobrecht was an excellent line engraver, and the work presented little challenge to him. His expertise in engraving bank note plates was thus considerable help. Line engravings on mica, by this artist, are also known for the seated figure in a variety of poses. (In the National Coin Collection, Smithsonian Institution.)
The engraved plate was finished by October 14, and on the following day Patterson sent prints to several people, including Treasury Secretary Levi Woodbury in Washington. Woodbury passed one of them on to President Andrew Jackson. The Chief Executive brought it to a cabinet meeting on October 17 for a thorough discussion and decision on whether to continue the work. Both Jackson and his Cabinet were favorable, except that the president believed the liberty pole ought to be slightly higher.
On October 17, 1835, the same day as the Cabinet meeting', Woodbury wrote Patterson giving permission to proceed with a trial die using the print as a guide. The Treasury secretary also mentioned the concern over the height of the pole and asked Patterson to see what could be done about it. It was clearly understood that the discussion over the pole was just that, a discussion, and should not be allowed to impede the die work by Gobrecht.
While all of this was going on, the Liberty head on the copper cent, considered to be long overdue for change, was being revised. We don't know if Kneass or Gobrecht made the 1835 "Type of 1836" obverse hub. The reverse (first seen on an 1834 cent) was most likely by Kneass. The new 1835 obverse design went into use sometime in the latter part of 1835, perhaps as early as September.
Obverse Design Created
There is little to report for the last months of 1835 because the Mint records are nearly silent on Gobrecht's activities during this period. However, in the annual Mint report covering the work done in 1835 (sent to the Treasury in early January 1836), Director Patterson noted that "One of the engravers of the Mint is now engaged in preparing a die of the dollar size." It was the first public notice of what was to become one of the most beautiful coins ever issued by the United States.
In his report of January 1, 1836, Director Patterson could just as easily have written that the die was nearly finished because on January 8 impressions in soft metal (a tin alloy) were struck and one of them sent to the Treasury for examination and transmission to the president. In his covering letter the director reported that a brass die had been used and the whole idea was but a test of the design, not a die for actual coinage. Brass was used for the die because this metal is easily and quickly engraved, but it is too soft for regular coinage.
The president again showed the sample to his Cabinet, and all agreed that a masterful work was underway. There was some lingering doubt concerning the liberty pole, but Patterson managed to answer everything satisfactorily. High officials encouraged the Mint officers to continue the good work.