Owner Comments:
1876 $1 Sailor Head Dollar
Judd-1460, Pollock-1610
Rarity: High R.7, PR63 BN
Ex Olsen / Ewalt
Struck in copper with a reeded edge
Obverse: William Barber's Sailor Head design with a bust of Liberty facing left on a plain field with “IN GOD WE TRUST” in small letters and the date both below the bust. LIBERTY appears on a coronet in Liberty's hair. Her hair tied back with a ribbon
Reverse: The reverse has ONE DOLLAR within a wreath with UNITED STATES OF AMERICA at the top border and E PLURIBUS UNUM at the bottom border.
Comment:
Magnificent toned Proof. This pattern is a Low R.7. this piece was from the fame Olsen collection. The late B. Max Mehl thought so highly of this design, that he plated this piece with an enlarged illustration in the Fred Olsen collection catalog. A practice for only specific important pieces back in the forties and fifties.
While I and others may use the term Sailor Head for this piece it is somewhat different than the predecessors of the 5 & 10$ pieces J-1439 & J1444 where this piece is missing the collar that helps the bust to resemble sailor garb of that time frame.
Provenance/ Appearances:
Private Transaction Nov 2022, Priors:
- B. Max Mehl Nov 1944, (Fred E. Olsen Numismatic Auction) /Lot# 52,
- Stacks Nov 1965 (Ewalt Collection) /Lot #65,
- The Kentucky Collection, Great Collections Oct 2016 #391534
Plate coin for NGC Coin Explorer for J1460