I have Jason's coin calendar beside my desk. This month's feature coin is the 1873 pattern trade dollar. I can't stop looking at this design. It strikes me as both odd and riveting at the same time...... So today I have been using Google to attempt to find out something of the design. I must be searching incorrectly because all I can seem to come up with is auction/sales information on the piece. So what is the story? I am sure that in 1873 several designs were proposed and I must assume this is one of them. There must have been a number of them struck because they have quite an auction history. Why would the mint strike so many of a pattern design? Perhaps so the design could be viewed by a number of decision makers?..... Please fill in the gaps that I can't seem to find with Google please.
I saw one those up for auctin on HA a few days ago. Was thinking of putting a bid on it. Get this if you want to read about pattern coins. https://www.amazon.com/Hewitt-Unite...MH7T74CZGHF&psc=1&refRID=CQ8H10MHNMH7T74CZGHF
The obverse design was probably dropped for being rife with imperialist overtones, but don’t quote me on that
The obverse is by James Longacre and a variation of it first appeared on a series of pattern silver dollars in 1870 (Judd 1008 - 1019, Pollock 1143 - 1154) The design is based on sketched Longacre made back in 1852. I call it a variation because there were some differences between the 1870 pattetns and the 1873, most noticeable in the positioning of the two "spears". On the 1870 pattern they point just left of stars 8 and 9. Liberty's head is also placed higher actually coming between stars 6 and 7. The original design was also used in 1871 on quarters, halves, dollars, ans "Commercial" dollars. The Commercial dollars were the first patterns in what would eventually become the Trade dollar. In 1872 it was used for patterns of both the Commercial and Trade dollar. In 1873 the modified version was produced and used on pattern Trade dollars exclusively. It was paired with three different reverses for a total of 8 different patterns (J-1293 - 1299, Pollock 1435 - 1441) A further modified greatly modified version was used for dollar and Trade dollar patterns in 1875 and 1876. The reverse design is unique to 1873 and is found paired with two different obv designs. J-1304 Pollock 1446, and with the obv shown above on J-1310 - 1314 Pollock 1453 - 1457.
