Coin Collection - US Pattern Coins
Before new coins are created, the U.S. Mint creates patterns: trial pieces that test how a particular design will appear in real life and whether any technical problems will develop as the coin is struck.
Except in unusual instances, patterns always enjoy a low mintage, often fewer than a dozen pieces. As a result, not only are patterns hard to find, but they tend to be expensive. Multiply expensive by hundreds of different varieties, and the money required to put together a collection of pattern coins becomes substantial.
Even so, you may be interested in picking up a piece or two for your collection, in which case, we'd like to tell you about a few of our favorites:
1792 silver-center cent: The first U.S. one-cent pieces were big and heavy, and they required a lot of scarce copper. As an alternative, smaller versions were made with a small plug of silver in the center that added value to make up for having less copper. They look neat and the idea had merit, but the coins were hard to produce and only a few were made. These coins are big money.
1836 Gobrecht silver dollar: Except for the 1804 silver dollar (which was actually made in 1834 and later), no silver dollars were made between 1804 and 1836. (In 1804, several thousand silver dollars were made, but they were all dated 1803.) In 1836, Christian Gobrecht created a new silver dollar with a figure of Seated Liberty on the obverse and an eagle flying across the reverse. Because he placed his name on the dies, these coins are now known as Gobrecht dollars. Over 1,000 examples were made in a number of varieties, which is a lot by pattern standards. Today, they're among the most popular of all U.S. coins.
1856 Flying Eagle cent: In 1856, the U.S. Mint began experimenting with reducing the size of the large cent to a more manageable size that was easier and less expensive to produce. The result was a small cent (the size Americans are used to today) that borrowed Christian Gobrecht's design of an eagle flying across the face of the coin. Like the Gobrecht dollar, the 1856 Flying Eagle cent is extremely popular. The mintage of over 1,000 pieces barely meets the huge demand for this pattern. Enough of these coins actually reached circulation that they're also collected by regular cent collectors.
1882 Liberty-head nickel: We love this pattern for its shock value, because most collectors believe that the first Liberty-head nickel appeared in 1883. Wrong. Remember: Before the coin, there was a pattern!
1879 and 1880 $4 gold Stellas: This odd denomination first appeared in 1879.
1849 $20 gold piece: This was the first $20 gold piece produced by the U.S. government. Two were made, and the one example known to still exist is a proud part of the National Numismatic Collection at the Smithsonian Institution.
1907 Indian-head $20 gold piece: Take an enlarged version of the Indianhead design from the $10 gold piece and stick it on the front of a $20 gold piece. Sound impressive? It is, and it's unique.
Questions and Answers
Most new collectors get their first introduction to numismatics by building a collection of small cents, particularly those of the Lincoln type made beginning in 1909. Most small cents are affordable, they're easy to find, and you'll meet plenty of other collectors who are eager to buy, sell, or trade with you and share their collecting stories.
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