1 Ounce - The Black Hawk MEM

Reverse

Smooth reverse with letterings.

Script: Latin

Lettering:
THE BLACK HAWK
THE FIRST ARTICULATED
LOCOMOTIVE - 1835
PHILADELPHIA AND TRENTON
RAILROAD
ONE TROY OUNCE .999 FINE SILVER
PROOF © 1974 MEM

Edge

Plain

Comment

The Black Hawk 1835 silver proof art bar was minted by the Mount Everest Mint (MEM) as part of The Great Locomotive Series One Collection. This limited edition collection consisted of ten art bars depicting various locomotives. The collection is presented in a framed blue presentation holder as depicted in the following image.

The Black Hawk was a 4-2-0 locomotive built in 1835 by the West Point Foundry for the Philadelphia and Trenton Railroad. This was based on a design by John B Jervis and was a modification of the earlier 0-4-0 locomotive, then in common use. The 0-4-0 proved to be too rigid for the railroads of the day, often derailing on the tight curves and rapid elevation changes of early American railroads. For the 4-2-0, Jervis introduced a four-wheel leading truck under the locomotive's smokebox. It swiveled independently from the main frame of the locomotive, in contrast to the English 4-2-0 engines which had rigid frames. The pistons powered a single driving axle at the rear of the locomotive, just behind the firebox. This design resulted in a much more stable locomotive which was able to guide itself into curves more easily than the 0-4-0.