1792 Half Dime Pattern - J-8

Coin Details

Auction Record

$824,850 AU55 01-07-2015 Heritage Auctions

Description

The Judd-8 is the unique copper impression of the 1792 Half Disme, the trial piece for what is widely considered the first regular-issue coinage of the United States. While approximately 1,500 silver half dismes (J-7) were produced under the authority of the Coinage Act of 1792 using silver reportedly supplied by George Washington himself, only this single copper specimen was struck. The obverse features a bust of Liberty facing left with short curly hair, "LIB. PAR. OF SCIENCE & INDUSTRY" around the border, and the date 1792 below. The reverse displays a small eagle facing left with wings spread, "HALF DISME," and a single star below. The coin first appeared publicly in the Mason Sale of November 1878 from the famed Joseph J. Mickley Collection. It subsequently entered the James Ellsworth Collection and was chosen by John Work Garrett when he financed the purchase of the Ellsworth holdings. The coin remained in the Garrett Collection at Johns Hopkins University until the landmark Garrett Collection sales in the early 1980s. Its unique status makes it one of the most important pattern coins in existence.

Rarity Notes

Unique. Only 1 example is known to exist.

Cross References

Pollock-8