1838 Gobrecht Dollar (J84) Tribute – 2 oz Silver
Seated Liberty and a soaring eagle give the Gobrecht dollar its enduring elegance. This 2 troy ounce .999 fine silver tribute follows the 1838 J84 arrangement: stars surrounding Liberty, no engraver’s name on the obverse, and an eagle flying through a starless field.
Artists Behind a New Dollar
In the 1830s, Mint Director Robert M. Patterson sought a new design for the silver dollar. He turned to painter Thomas Sully for a seated Liberty and to artist Titian Peale for the reverse. Christian Gobrecht translated their sketches into coin designs, adapting the imagery through several variations.
The result joined two contrasting forms of movement: Liberty sits in a composed pose, while the eagle stretches across an open sky. The Smithsonian’s National Numismatic Collection holds an 1838 pattern dollar with seated Liberty, a capped pole, a shield, and thirteen stars. This tribute draws on that design tradition while identifying its modern silver weight.
Obverse Design
Liberty sits on a rock, holding a pole topped by a liberty cap and resting a hand beside the shield marked “LIBERTY.” Thirteen stars frame the upper field, and the date 1838 appears below. Drapery, shield lines, and the beaded border provide fine detail around the central figure. The engraver’s name is omitted in keeping with the J84 style.
Reverse Design
An eagle flies across the plain field with wings raised and feathers fully articulated. “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA” curves around the upper rim, while “2 TROY OUNCES” replaces the historic dollar denomination below. The absence of background stars distinguishes this reverse from the starry-field Gobrecht designs and keeps attention on the bird’s sweeping silhouette.
Specifications
- Weight: 2.00 troy ounces
- Metal: .999 fine silver
- Diameter: 39 mm
- Thickness: approximately 6 mm
- Edge: Reeded
- Finish: Brilliant Uncirculated
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