US Gold Pattern Pieces- ANYTHING BUT GOLD

“ … The most appropriate place for such a motto, is found in connection with the national inscription, which on all our large coins is on the reverse: the device of which is an eagle with the heraldic accompaniments appropriate to the arms of the union as adopted by law: dispensing ar present with the mtto (E Pluribus Unum) and the crest, except on the Double Eagle: The place of the crest offers the best position for the insertion of such a motto as is now required as on all of the other coins which are large enough to admit of such an addition – this place is now vacant – and a motto if sufficiently brief may be introduced with the least disturbance of the device as now arranged – and I have made a drawing of the reverse of the Double Eagle in outline to indicate such a modification of the crest as will present the motto however (which was the first suggestion) “Our Trust is in God” - I found on attempting to apply it to the Eagle and Half Dollar reverses – contained too many letters to insert in the place of the crest without crowding them too much for good taste: and therefore selected for greater brevity the words “God Our Trust”; which carries the same idea – in the form of expression according with heraldic usage ~ and probably as readily understood as the more explicit form of the other.

From the considerations before mentioned, I have confined my attention to the inscription of the motto, without changing the artistic portions of the present devices. It may not be amiss to be remark however that the smallest change of the permanent devices or legends on the face of the coin, required the making of new hubs for the dies on which it is to be placed.A) I have struck this on reverse dies of the Eagle and Half Dollar, and impressions, in copper of the Eagle, and in silver of the Half Dollar are presented with these remarks which will serve to show the effect as proposed: This motto in the same letter can be placed on the four larger denominations.

"... This lovely coin, as well as the following two lots, have clearly been together since no later than 1974 (the time of the Pine Tree Auction sale cited below), and may in all probability have been together since before the sale of the King Farouk Collection in 1954. The family of the current consignor bought these three coins in one lot as offered in the Oscar J. Pearl Collection Sale in 1979....
From the Oscar J. Pearl Collection (Bowers and Ruddy, June 28, 1979. Lot 1383); earlier from the Greater New York Numismatic Convention Sale (Paramount, April 29, 1977, Lot 168); earlier from the First Walter Breen Gold Sale (Pine Tree Auctions, March 4, 1974, Lot 434); also almost certainly ex Palace Collection-King Farouk (Sotheby's, February 1954. Lot 1865) ... "

Lot 231 “1872 Barber's set. Dollar, Half, and Quarter Dol.: Amazonian figure of Liberty seated l. caressing an eagle, and resting on shield and sword with her l. arm: stars around border. Rx defiant eagle clasps three arrows and supports a shield labelled IN GOD WE TRUST: values below: silver: proofs: very rare; 3 pcs." The lot realized $13.50.

… Boudicca was one furious woman. Roman sources tell us that to intimidate this native Briton and the Iceni tribe of whom she was leader, ... The Romans violated her 2 daughters and in the heat of Boudicca’s anger, the humiliated queen strategized her rage and persuaded others to join her to try to push Rome out of Britannia...."

"... The same applies when it comes to the Amazons. Although they have been judged through time to be a quasi-mythical race of warrior women – archaeological and historical research now suggests these were real, flesh-and-blood female fighters from the tribes of Scythia and Sarmatia. …" [extracted from a blog by THE BRITISH MUSEUM]

3/28/1876 - Director Linderman to Superintendent Pollock:

Sir: Your attention is invited to items 328-329 page 19 of the enclosed catalogue, from which it would appear that two experimental pieces, copper proofs of an Eagle and Half Eagle of 1875 are offered for sale and the statement made that only five pieces of each specimen have been struck. The pieces referred to, appear to have been received from some officer of the Mint, and I will thank you to make the necessary inquiry, and inform me how they found their way out of the Mint.

3/28/1876 - Director Linderman to Superintendent Pollock:

Sir: Your attention is invited to items 328-329 page 19 of the enclosed catalogue, from which it would appear that two experimental pieces, copper proofs of an Eagle and Half Eagle of 1875 are offered for sale and the statement made that only five pieces of each specimen have been struck. The pieces referred to, appear to have been received from some officer of the Mint, and I will thank you to make the necessary inquiry, and inform me how they found their way out of the Mint.