Christian Gobrecht was the third Chief Engraver of the United States Mint from 1840 until his death in 1844.
Christian Gobrecht was born December 23d, 1785, in Hanover, a town in York County, Pennsylvania. He was the sixth son of John Christopher Gobrecht, a native of the village of Augerstein, near Gottingen, Landgraviate of Hesse, who emigrated to America in 1753, and afterwards became a distinguished clergyman of the German Reformed Church in Pennsylvania.
At an early age, Mr. Christian Gobrecht exhibited great mechanical ability, and evinced a taste for drawing and design; he was consequently apprenticed to a clockmaker living at Manheim, Lancaster County. His master, however, dying a short time after, he was released from his indenture, and, removing to Baltimore, pursued the course evidently marked out for him, guided by no other teacher but himself. The ornamental work, name of maker, &c., in the inside of clocks and watches, probably induced him to cultivate engraving; and, after passing several years in the making of clock-faces, that business was entirely abandoned for the more congenial occupation of an engraver. His progress in this art was gradual; and, commencing with the simple work of cutting headings for newspapers and punches for type founders, he became, in time, a writing and seal engraver, and finally a die-sinker.
About the year 1811, Mr. Gobrecht removed permanently to Philadelphia, where his principal pursuit was that of a bank note writing engraver; he, however, as opportunities offered, engraved seals, calico printers' rolls, bookbinders' dies for embossing morocco, dies for striking brass ornaments for military equipments, and also executed several medals. In 1836, in consequence of the contemplated change in the devices on the American coin, he was appointed Die-sinker in the United States Mint, which office he filled until his death, which event occurred July 23d, 1844, he having attained the age of fifty-eight years and seven months.
Biography source - Google Books "The Lives of Eminent Philadelphians, Now Deceased" by Henry Simpson, 1859 Philadelphia, PA.
Christian Gobrecht was born December 23d, 1785, in Hanover, a town in York County, Pennsylvania. He was the sixth son of John Christopher Gobrecht, a native of the village of Augerstein, near Gottingen, Landgraviate of Hesse, who emigrated to America in 1753, and afterwards became a distinguished clergyman of the German Reformed Church in Pennsylvania.
At an early age, Mr. Christian Gobrecht exhibited great mechanical ability, and evinced a taste for drawing and design; he was consequently apprenticed to a clockmaker living at Manheim, Lancaster County. His master, however, dying a short time after, he was released from his indenture, and, removing to Baltimore, pursued the course evidently marked out for him, guided by no other teacher but himself. The ornamental work, name of maker, &c., in the inside of clocks and watches, probably induced him to cultivate engraving; and, after passing several years in the making of clock-faces, that business was entirely abandoned for the more congenial occupation of an engraver. His progress in this art was gradual; and, commencing with the simple work of cutting headings for newspapers and punches for type founders, he became, in time, a writing and seal engraver, and finally a die-sinker.
About the year 1811, Mr. Gobrecht removed permanently to Philadelphia, where his principal pursuit was that of a bank note writing engraver; he, however, as opportunities offered, engraved seals, calico printers' rolls, bookbinders' dies for embossing morocco, dies for striking brass ornaments for military equipments, and also executed several medals. In 1836, in consequence of the contemplated change in the devices on the American coin, he was appointed Die-sinker in the United States Mint, which office he filled until his death, which event occurred July 23d, 1844, he having attained the age of fifty-eight years and seven months.
Biography source - Google Books "The Lives of Eminent Philadelphians, Now Deceased" by Henry Simpson, 1859 Philadelphia, PA.
Christian Gobrecht was the third Chief Engraver of the United States Mint from 1840 until his death in 1844.
Christian Gobrecht was born December 23d, 1785, in Hanover, a town in York County, Pennsylvania. He was the sixth son of John Christopher Gobrecht, a native of the village of Augerstein, near Gottingen, Landgraviate of Hesse, who emigrated to America in 1753, and afterwards became a distinguished clergyman of the German Reformed Church in Pennsylvania.
At an early age, Mr. Christian Gobrecht exhibited great mechanical ability, and evinced a taste for drawing and design; he was consequently apprenticed to a clockmaker living at Manheim, Lancaster County. His master, however, dying a short time after, he was released from his indenture, and, removing to Baltimore, pursued the course evidently marked out for him, guided by no other teacher but himself. The ornamental work, name of maker, &c., in the inside of clocks and watches, probably induced him to cultivate engraving; and, after passing several years in the making of clock-faces, that business was entirely abandoned for the more congenial occupation of an engraver. His progress in this art was gradual; and, commencing with the simple work of cutting headings for newspapers and punches for type founders, he became, in time, a writing and seal engraver, and finally a die-sinker.
About the year 1811, Mr. Gobrecht removed permanently to Philadelphia, where his principal pursuit was that of a bank note writing engraver; he, however, as opportunities offered, engraved seals, calico printers' rolls, bookbinders' dies for embossing morocco, dies for striking brass ornaments for military equipments, and also executed several medals. In 1836, in consequence of the contemplated change in the devices on the American coin, he was appointed Die-sinker in the United States Mint, which office he filled until his death, which event occurred July 23d, 1844, he having attained the age of fifty-eight years and seven months.
Biography source - Google Books "The Lives of Eminent Philadelphians, Now Deceased" by Henry Simpson, 1859 Philadelphia, PA.
Christian Gobrecht was born December 23d, 1785, in Hanover, a town in York County, Pennsylvania. He was the sixth son of John Christopher Gobrecht, a native of the village of Augerstein, near Gottingen, Landgraviate of Hesse, who emigrated to America in 1753, and afterwards became a distinguished clergyman of the German Reformed Church in Pennsylvania.
At an early age, Mr. Christian Gobrecht exhibited great mechanical ability, and evinced a taste for drawing and design; he was consequently apprenticed to a clockmaker living at Manheim, Lancaster County. His master, however, dying a short time after, he was released from his indenture, and, removing to Baltimore, pursued the course evidently marked out for him, guided by no other teacher but himself. The ornamental work, name of maker, &c., in the inside of clocks and watches, probably induced him to cultivate engraving; and, after passing several years in the making of clock-faces, that business was entirely abandoned for the more congenial occupation of an engraver. His progress in this art was gradual; and, commencing with the simple work of cutting headings for newspapers and punches for type founders, he became, in time, a writing and seal engraver, and finally a die-sinker.
About the year 1811, Mr. Gobrecht removed permanently to Philadelphia, where his principal pursuit was that of a bank note writing engraver; he, however, as opportunities offered, engraved seals, calico printers' rolls, bookbinders' dies for embossing morocco, dies for striking brass ornaments for military equipments, and also executed several medals. In 1836, in consequence of the contemplated change in the devices on the American coin, he was appointed Die-sinker in the United States Mint, which office he filled until his death, which event occurred July 23d, 1844, he having attained the age of fifty-eight years and seven months.
Biography source - Google Books "The Lives of Eminent Philadelphians, Now Deceased" by Henry Simpson, 1859 Philadelphia, PA.
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