1792 Washington Getz Pattern White Metal Idler Copy Half Dollar

Coin Details

Description

Produced by Philadelphia die-sinker Christopher Idler using original Peter Getz dies sometime in the 1860s, this white metal copy of the 1792 Washington Getz Pattern half dollar preserves one of the most important early American pattern designs in a soft alloy that captured sharp die detail. Cataloged as Baker 25D, Musante GW-27, Whitman 10710, and PCGS #528678, the piece weighs 11 grams with a 33 mm diameter and plain edge. The obverse carries the WASHINGTON PRESIDENT legend surrounding a draped bust of George Washington, reflecting the title that Washington himself rejected for the presidency, while the reverse displays a small heraldic eagle. Peter Getz, a Lancaster, Pennsylvania engraver, cut the original dies in 1792 as a proposal for the new nation's half dollar coinage — a proposal that ultimately lost out to the designs chosen by the first Chief Engraver, Robert Scot. Idler acquired the original dies decades later and struck copies in various metals including white metal, copper, and silver to satisfy growing collector demand during the Civil War era, when interest in American numismatic history surged. White metal examples are uncommon among Idler's production and tend to survive in sharper condition than copper copies because the soft tin-lead alloy recorded fine die details that harder metals sometimes failed to capture. Collectors classify Idler copies separately from original Getz strikings, but both categories command strong interest as artifacts documenting the earliest proposals for United States coinage design.

Rarity Notes

Rare. White metal Idler copies are uncommon.

Cross References

Baker 25D; Musante GW-27; Whitman 10710