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<p>[QUOTE="WFN, post: 4874104, member: 86967"]I concur with many of the comments about Breen's Encyclopedia - early rarity ratings from any author are always revised when additional examples are found. Breen was accurate when he used factual information, when he speculated or opined (as in Scot's engraving), he could be incorrect. I use specialist reference books that utilize more complete research than Breen could accomplish in trying to write an authoritative reference for all coins.</p><p><br /></p><p>Regarding the debate earlier in this thread, I also agree that both Robert Scot and John Reich were both excellent engravers in their prime. The engraver of the original (master) die may not be the same person who created or directed the design concept for a coin type.</p><p><br /></p><p>There is ample evidence that Reich engraved the 1807 Capped Bust designs. Not only his "signatures" on the coins but Mint documents - Director Patterson wrote to President Jefferson the day after Reich's employment that he was "preparing a new set of dies..."</p><p><br /></p><p>This sentence is not included in reference books on early designs, or in Reich's biography, from the Mint document on Reich's terms of employment "And the said John Reich covenants and engages to execute any work, in the line of his profession, which may be required of him, either by the Director, <b>or by the Chief engraver</b>..."</p><p><br /></p><p>Reich did not work independent of Scot, as is often inferred by authors - Reich took direction from Scot.</p><p><br /></p><p>For the 1807 Capped Bust designs, did Reich immediately create the capped bust design upon employment, or was a concept drawing created by Scot, with Director Patterson's approval, and then engraved by Reich?</p><p><br /></p><p>This Vermont die engraved by Scot in 1798 gives some evidence (image reversed and cropped, next to 1807 reverse). Does anyone believe that Reich actually created and engraved an eagle design in 1807 without any direction from Scot, that coincidentally was about the same shape as Scot's 1798 eagle design?</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1177314[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]1177315[/ATTACH][/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>
[QUOTE="WFN, post: 4874104, member: 86967"]I concur with many of the comments about Breen's Encyclopedia - early rarity ratings from any author are always revised when additional examples are found. Breen was accurate when he used factual information, when he speculated or opined (as in Scot's engraving), he could be incorrect. I use specialist reference books that utilize more complete research than Breen could accomplish in trying to write an authoritative reference for all coins. Regarding the debate earlier in this thread, I also agree that both Robert Scot and John Reich were both excellent engravers in their prime. The engraver of the original (master) die may not be the same person who created or directed the design concept for a coin type. There is ample evidence that Reich engraved the 1807 Capped Bust designs. Not only his "signatures" on the coins but Mint documents - Director Patterson wrote to President Jefferson the day after Reich's employment that he was "preparing a new set of dies..." This sentence is not included in reference books on early designs, or in Reich's biography, from the Mint document on Reich's terms of employment "And the said John Reich covenants and engages to execute any work, in the line of his profession, which may be required of him, either by the Director, [B]or by the Chief engraver[/B]..." Reich did not work independent of Scot, as is often inferred by authors - Reich took direction from Scot. For the 1807 Capped Bust designs, did Reich immediately create the capped bust design upon employment, or was a concept drawing created by Scot, with Director Patterson's approval, and then engraved by Reich? This Vermont die engraved by Scot in 1798 gives some evidence (image reversed and cropped, next to 1807 reverse). Does anyone believe that Reich actually created and engraved an eagle design in 1807 without any direction from Scot, that coincidentally was about the same shape as Scot's 1798 eagle design? [ATTACH=full]1177314[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]1177315[/ATTACH][/QUOTE]
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