1896 ARGENTUM UNIVERSALE ONE TALENT OFFERED

1896 One Talent, Judd-Unlisted, Krause X#2, Uncirculated Uncertified. 37.0 mm., 32.59 grams. The obverse depicts a map of the Eastern hemisphere with the legend ARGENTUM - UNIVERSALE and the date. The reverse depicts a map of the Western hemisphere with the legend UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and ONE TALENT. These pieces, reported as one part gold to four parts silver, are attributed to Mr. Emil Greeff who was identified in a May 14, 1896 newspaper article appearing in The Newark Daily Advocate, repeating an article from the New York Herald. William Woodin displayed examples of each size at the 1914 ANS exhibition, although neither was illustrated.

In Our August 2017 ANA Sale, we offered an 1896 fifth talent, the only example of this distinctive, privately produced pattern issue that we had handled at any time in the company's history. The smaller fifth talent is 24.3 mm. and 6.5 grams, while this larger piece is 37.0 mm. and 32.59 grams. Stack's Bowers handled an example of each size in Part 23 of the John J. Ford, Jr. Collection, both earlier from F.C.C. Boyd, and a worn example of the larger size one talent piece was illustrated in the July 2, 2017 edition of the email newsletter, E-Sylum.

An example of the one talent denomination was displayed at the April 11, 1934 meeting of the Brooklyn Coin Club, although its provenance is unknown. Richard Kenney mentioned and illustrated the one talent piece in the June 1962 installment of "Unofficial Coins of the World" that was published posthumously in The Numismatist. The illustrated piece may be a fourth example of this issue as it does not appear to match the others.

While some evidence of cleaning appears at the center of the obverse and reverse, this sharply detailed example has pleasing gold toning over its still lustrous surfaces with no evidence of wear. As one of just three examples that we know of, this opportunity is tremendously important. While not an official pattern issue of the United States, these pieces deserve a place in an advanced cabinet as experimental pieces toward an international coinage.

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
1896 ARGENTUM UNIVERSALE ONE TALENT LOCATED (https://www.coinbooks.org/v20/esylum_v20n27a13.html)

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