10 Dollars, United States, 1838

Object Details

mint

U.S. Mint. Philadelphia

designer

Gobrecht, Christian

Description (Brief)

One (1) 10 dollar coin

United States, 1838

Obverse Image: Left facing Liberty with hair tied in a bun and wearing a coronet. 13 stars around.

Obverse Text: LIBERTY / 1838

Reverse Image: Eagle with wings outstretched clutching arrows and branch in talons, shield over chest.

Reverse Text: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA / TEN D.

Description

The gold British sovereigns that James Smithson bequeathed to the United States were melted down and re-struck as American coins. Some of the gold went into the reissue of the ten-dollar piece, or eagle. There were other factors at work, of course, including two Acts of Congress that reduced the weight and fineness of all United States gold coins, in an effort to keep them in circulation.

The resumption of eagle coinage was ordered in July 1838, and between seven and eight thousand of the coins, the first eagles struck since 1804, were minted at the beginning of December. Smithson's legacy played a role: the knowledge that a massive amount of bullion was on its way across the Atlantic fostered the decision to resume the eagle, the largest existing American denomination.

Christian Gobrecht was responsible for the designs on the resumed eagle coinage. His left-facing Liberty sported a coronet (there is a copper cent, also by Gobrecht, with a nearly identical arrangement), while the rounded tip of the truncation points to the "1" in the date.

A simple eagle with shield appears on the reverse. The obverse design was modified slightly in 1839, the truncation now being centered above the date. A handful of proofs, specimen coins of record or for VIPs, was also struck. Three have been reliably reported, and a fourth is rumored.

Location

Currently not on view

Credit Line

U.S. Department of the Treasury, U.S. Mint

1838

ID Number

1985.0441.0292

catalog number

1985.0441.0292

accession number

1985.0441

Object Name

coin

Physical Description

gold (overall metal)

0 (overall die axis)

0 (overall die axis measurement)

struck (overall production method)

Measurements

overall: 2 mm x 27 mm; 3/32 in x 1 1/16 in

place made

United States

United States: Pennsylvania, Philadelphia

Related Publication

Zoomable Image and Details

Feingold, Ellen R.. Value of Money, The

Glossary of Coins and Currency Terms

Related Web Publication

http://americanhistory.si.edu/coins/glossary.cfm

See more items in

Work and Industry: National Numismatic Collection

Coins

Numismatics

Coins, Currency and Medals

Legendary Coins

National Museum of American History

Record ID

nmah_1077657

Metadata Usage (text)

CC0

GUID (Link to Original Record)

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746ab-2121-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa