LOT #3379 |
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1879 $4 Flowing Hair, Judd-1635, Pollock-1833, JD-1, R.3, PR63 Cameo NGC....
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Description
1879 Four Dollar Gold Piece, PR63 Cameo
Flowing Hair Portrait, Judd-1635
Iconic Barber Design
1879 $4 Flowing Hair, Judd-1635, Pollock-1833, JD-1, R.3, PR63
Cameo NGC. The 1879 Flowing Hair stellas are always popular
with a wide range of collectors. Traditionally listed with the
pattern series (Judd-1635), the odd-denomination stellas have been
enthusiastically adopted as part of the regular U.S. gold series as
well, and they are especially popular with type collectors.
Heritage Auctions is pleased to present an impressive PR63 Cameo
example of this popular rarity in this historic offering.Design
The central obverse device of the 1879 Flowing Hair stella was a bust of Liberty with flowing locks and a headband inscribed LIBERTY, derived directly from William Barber's design for an 1878 half eagle pattern, Judd-1574. This device was adopted with minimal changes by Charles Barber for the 1879 coinage, with the specifications for the stella spelled out in abbreviated form around the borders, punctuated by stars. The large logotype date was underneath. Barber's reverse features a large five-pointed star with the four-line inscription ONE STELLA 400 CENTS. Around, an outer legend reads UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, with the denomination expressed as FOUR DOL. below. An inner legend, with words separated by the star points, reads E PLURIBUS UNUM--DEO EST GLORIA. Struck in gold (or possibly goloid), with a reeded edge. The design was also struck in copper (Judd-1636), aluminum (Judd-1637), and white metal (Judd-1637 A).
Origin of the Stella
The concept of the stella has often been ascribed to the Honorable John A. Kasson, the U.S. Minister to Austria in 1879, and former chairman of the Congressional Committee on Coinage, Weights, and Measures. In an often-quoted 1879 letter, Kasson suggested the creation of a coin that could be exchanged directly for the Austrian eight florin piece, which was worth $3.88. This attribution was recently challenged by Roger Burdette, however. In the Spring 2015 issue of the Journal of Numismatic Research, Burdette notes that while Kasson's letter may have provided the inspiration for a new gold coin at the critical time in 1879, the real impetus behind the creation of the stella came from Dr. William Wheeler Hubbell.
Hubbell was a keen advocate of the metric system and he held the patent for the goloid alloy used on a controversial series of patterns in the late 1870s. Goloid was a composition of gold, silver, and copper, combined in various proportions. Hubbell enthusiastically proposed a four dollar stella as an approximation of Kasson's suggested $3.88 coin. The stella would have a composition of six grams of gold, 3 decigrams of silver, and 7 decigrams of copper, and a weight of 7 grams. Hubbell had the support of several prominent senators and the Committee on Coinage, Weights and Measures issued a favorable report on the stella on March 3, 1879, leading to House Resolution 113, which called for adoption of the new coinage.
Production and Composition
According to Mint records, 425 examples of the 1879 Flowing Hair stella were struck between October 4, 1879 and May 10, 1880, all for inclusion in three-coin pattern sets that also included examples of the 1879 goloid dollar (Judd-1617) and the 1879 goloid metric dollar (Judd-1626). These sets were offered to Congressmen for their bullion cost of $6.10. None were offered to collectors or the general public until the 1880 congressional term was over. Based on the large number of survivors, several numismatists have suggested the actual production of 1879 Flowing Hair stellas may have been larger, ranging from 500-750 examples, all told. There is no documentation for any production after the first 425 examples were struck, but there is also no documentation for the striking of 1879 Coiled Hair, 1880 Flowing Hair, or 1880 Coiled Hair stellas, all of which obviously exist. The final mintage figures remain an open question. John Dannreuther estimates the surviving population at 400 to 500 examples in all grades.
Additionally, the exact composition of the planchets is difficult to establish. Mint specifications called for all coins to be struck in the goloid composition, but the great majority of survivors that have been subjected to elemental analysis were found to be struck in the standard .900 fine gold coinage alloy. Presently, we are aware of only two instances where testing confirmed the coins were struck in Hubbell's goloid composition, and those cases may be anomalous. It has been suggested that the first 15 examples, which were struck early in the production cycle, were conscientiously produced in the required goloid composition, while all later strikings were accomplished on shaved half eagle planchets of regular gold composition. Parallel striations show on almost all examples seen, supporting this theory. Under this scenario, the two coins tested with goloid composition would be examples of the 15 "originals", while the great majority of survivors come from the later "restrikes." Like almost everything else about the 1879 stellas, this subject is hotly debated by expert numismatists, with no definitive answer in sight. In the end, Congress failed to approve the stella, and no business-strike coinage was ever produced.
The Present Coin
The coin offered here is a spectacular Select proof, with sharply detailed, frosty design elements that contrast boldly with the deeply mirrored fields to create a stunning cameo effect when the coin is tilted in the light. The always-seen striations are most evident on Liberty's bust, with a nearly vertical orientation. The well-preserved yellow and greenish-gold surfaces show only minor signs of contact, with a few faint hairlines that are consistent with the grade. Overall eye appeal is outstanding. This coin will be a welcome addition to a fine collection or type set. Census: 14 in 63 Cameo, 77 finer (7/25).(Registry values: P1)
From The Cleveland Lake Collection.
Coin Index Numbers: (NGC ID# 28AZ, PCGS# 88057, Greysheet# 8782)
Weight: 7.00 grams
Metal: 86% Gold, 4% Silver, 10% Copper
View all of [The Cleveland Lake Collection ]
Auction Info
2025 August 26 - 31 ANA US Coins Signature® Auction #1385 (go to Auction Home page)
Auction Dates
August, 2025
26th-31st
Tuesday-Sunday
Bids + Registered Phone Bidders: 41
Lot Tracking Activity: N/A
Page Views: 504
Buyer's Premium per Lot:
20% of the successful bid per lot.
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