1799 Eagle Pattern - J-26

Coin Details

Auction Record

$5,775 MS60 10-11-1992 Superior Galleries

Description

Judd-26 is a copper die trial of the 1799 Capped Bust Right eagle ($10 gold coin) with the Heraldic Eagle reverse, one of the rarest early American pattern coins. The obverse features Robert Scot's Capped Bust portrait of Liberty facing right, wearing a soft cap inscribed LIBERTY, with thirteen stars and the date 1799 below. The reverse displays the new Heraldic Eagle design that replaced the Small Eagle reverse after 1797: a large eagle with outstretched wings bearing a shield on its breast, holding an olive branch and arrows. The year 1799 was a relatively productive one for eagle coinage, with 37,449 pieces struck in gold for circulation. However, this copper die trial is in an entirely different category of rarity. It was struck to test the dies in an inexpensive base metal, preserving a record of the exact die state before gold production began. Copper die trials of early American gold denominations are among the rarest and most coveted of all United States pattern coins. Like J-25, this coin is unique and resides in an institutional collection.

Rarity Notes

Unique (R.8). be a single known example, impounded.

Cross References

Pollock-37