Christian Gobrecht’s depiction of Liberty followed the Classic Head of William Kneass, a culmination of efforts to both standardize the design and find an acceptable representation that could be used for a long period of time. Although the denomination had been minted since 1796, there were six previous variations before this latest effort by Gobrecht. The preceding Kneass Classic Head was used for only six years, though it would be reasonable to say the Liberty Head revision was more of an adaptation than a completely new design. Though differences between the previous depiction of Liberty and this one are obvious the general presentation is similar; and the reverse design is nearly identical to the previous, with relatively minor changes to the depiction of the eagle and other design elements. Specifications: Designer: Christian Gobrecht. after John Reich and William Kneass Circulation Mintage: high 1,404,668 (1853), low 246 (1854-S; unknown for 1841) Proof Mintage: high 223 (1901), low 20 (1874, 1875, 1877, 1888; 20 or fewer per year estimated prior to 1859)
