Ok so I saw this in the recent "barber coin collectors society" journal. Google isn't helping me much. Wondering what these coins are?
And just when I thought Google didn't know, i get part of the answer https://www.coinworld.com/news/prec...llar-pattern-considered-well-suited-coin.html
You got it ! Pattern coins not intended for circulation . Am I correct ? I just guessed based on my limited knowledge . Struck directly for marketing to collectors.
I found the same link almost immediately...was gonna post it until I realized it was the same one as above so...oops!
Pattern coins. Some are highly prized. Some were made as patterns and some were made to sell direct to collectors.
I thought patterns were just that patterns. Struck to test out a new coin idea. Many exist just like production strikes with small differences, others very different. Sure, some in the "bad old days" of the 19th century were actively also sold to collectors, but I didn't think they were ever made ONLY to sell to collectors, but to trial a new potential design.
@medoraman You have it correctly. Some did make their way out of the Mint into collector hands but that was not supposed to happen. The same with the aluminum cents. They were passed out for feedback and were supposed to be returned but not all of them were returned.
Originally the Patterns that didn't become regular coinage were struck to show lawmakers and mint officials how the prospective design would look. It wasn't till much later, 1880's and later, that some of them were reissued for collectors. The mint would do this to secure rare pieces that were not in the U.S. coin collection. Several beautiful designs were rejected. Shame that they can't be issued as one ounce coins like the ASE and AGE. Did you know that in the mid 1800's the aluminum was as highly regarded as gold?
I would say not as highly as gold, but pricier than silver I believe. The Washington monument would have been cheaper to top with silver than aluminum. Problem with aluminum was removing it form its ore. Its very common, but until the invention of the Hall-Heroult process which uses massive amounts of electricity. This only could occur after massive electrical infrastructure was established late 19th century.
Back in the 19th century collectors and numismatic society could request examples of pattern coins from the mint. Base metal patterns would often be supplied at no cost. For patterns struck in gold or silver they had to reimburse the mint for the vlue of the metal they contained so that the bullion accounts would balance. Some patterns were deliberately sold to collectors, for example the mint sold 12 coin sets of the cent patterns of 1858 and 59.
