1795 Half Dollar Pattern - J-22

Coin Details

Auction Record

$46 AU55BN 03-28-2018 eBay

Description

Judd-22 is a copper die trial of the 1795 Flowing Hair half dollar, struck to test the dies before production of the silver coins for circulation. The obverse features the Flowing Hair portrait of Liberty facing right, flanked by stars, with LIBERTY above and the date 1795 below. The reverse displays the small eagle perched within an open wreath, with UNITED STATES OF AMERICA around the border. The 1795 half dollar was a significant production year for the denomination, with a reported mintage of 299,680 silver coins struck from 31 known die pairs. This copper die trial represents the Mint's standard practice of testing dies in a base metal to verify quality before using precious silver. Like its 1794 counterpart J-17, J-22 provides invaluable physical evidence of the early Mint's production processes. This is among the rarest early American pattern coins and very few examples, if any, are known in private hands.

Rarity Notes

R.8. Extremely rare; be unique or nearly so.

Cross References

Pollock-32