Christian Gobrecht
For those collectors who specialize in 19th century coins of the United States, one of the most important names they will encounter is that of Christian Gobrecht. This mint engraver is justly famed for his superb dies used to strike the Gobrecht silver dollars of 1836 to 1839, but in reality these dollars were but one facet of his genius. As was once said of Sir Thomas More, Gobrecht was truly a “man for all seasons” in the world of engraving.
The future chief engraver of the United States Mint was the seventh of 10 children born to John and Elizabeth (Sands) Gobrecht. He was born on Dec. 23, 1785, in Hanover, Pa., where his father was a minister in the German Reformed Church. As the elder Gobrecht remained at this parish for some years, his son Christian was to grow up and mature in the town of Hanover.
Christian Gobrecht was something of a child prodigy in that he taught himself to draw at an early age. There has even been preserved one of his sketchbooks, dated 1794, when he was but 8 years old, that shows remarkable talent for one so young. By 1800 his artistic skills were even better developed, and he became known for his skill in accurate renditions of both people and inanimate objects.
When he was 16, he was apprenticed to a clock-maker in
