The following metallurgical trial piece was struck in 1999. It uses the Martha Washington design first used in 1965 on J2101/P2081, J2116/P2082 and J2134/P2083 to test the golden colored manganese brass coated planchets which would later be used for the Sacagawea dollar. Photo courtesy of Douglas Mudd of the National Numismatic Collection of the Smithsonian Institution. This design has become the U.S. Mint's all-purpose design for testing new compositions and planchet sizes both inside the Mint and outside by companies contracted by the Mint including IDX Inc, PMX Industries and Olin Brass Corporation. Only a few people outside the mint itself were aware of the existence of these trial pieces. To your editor's knowledge, this is the first time this trial piece has ever been seen by the collecting fraternity. The illustrated piece was brought over to the Smithsonian where it was photographed but, regrettably, was not left there. Only a few other specimens have come to light since including the example in American Numismatic Rarities December 2003 sale. The following, regarding these pieces, is excerpted from an article in the July 16, 2001 edition of Coin World. "The U.S. Mint spent millions of dollars in research and development of an alloy for the Sacagawea dollar, with IDX Inc. being one of the firms contracted to test prototypes in their coin acceptors. James Halsey, president of IDX Inc., said numerous samples in different alloys bearing the Martha Washington obverse and Mount Vernon reverse dies - special designs used for experimental coinage - were shipped to IDX for testing. Some of the packages were insured for as high as $250,000, with the recipients required to return any and all pieces supplied by the Mint for the tests." According to a Coin World article in the June 24, 2002 issue, "anti-tarnish tests were conducted at the Philadelphia Mint on January 8, 2000, on Sacagawea dollar blanks struck with the experimental Martha Washington obverse, Mount Vernon reverse experimental dies, according to Mint e-mails." The Coin World article continued: "Seven processes were explored: one on circulation quality strikes, three on Uncirculated [Mint set] quality coins, and three on Proof quality strikes. The coins were struck on at least four different kinds of presses, with the blanks subjected to one of five burnishing methods." The ANR piece pictured above is one of at least 2 confirmed examples which may have been struck to test one of those burnishing methods as its surfaces are more matte-like in appearance than the Smithsonian or Heritage 11/03 sale piece which have a brilliant finish and is illustrated below and is shown courtesy of Mike Byers. It appears that at least 2 experiments were conducted to make these pieces more recognizable by the blind. Pieces are known struck with what is believed to $1 in Braille in the obverse fields as on the piece below are believed to have been made by Olin Brass. Another, J2186, has with an intermittently reeded edge - 6 reeds per block - as shown below. At least one example exists with a fully reeded edge J2187 and was offered in the Bowers and Merena 2006 ANA sale. A cupro-nickel clad Martha Washington pattern dollar with this same edge is also known and is now listed as J2184. For more on this piece, click here. Photo courtesy of Saul Teichman.