1803 Half Eagle Pattern - J-27

Coin Details

Description

Judd-27 is cataloged as a copper die trial of the 1803 Capped Bust Right half eagle with Heraldic Eagle reverse. The obverse features Robert Scot's Capped Bust portrait of Liberty facing right, wearing a soft cap, with stars around the border and the date 1803 below. The reverse displays the Heraldic Eagle with shield, olive branch, and arrows, surrounded by UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. All 1803 half eagles are technically overdates (1803/2), using an obverse die originally prepared in 1802. The existence and authenticity of J-27 has been questioned by modern researchers, with some specialists indicating that purported examples may actually be altered "kettle tokens" produced by Montroville Dickeson, who used rusted half eagle obverse dies muled with his own reverse dies in the late 1850s. Regardless of classification, any genuine copper die trial from these dies would be among the rarest early American patterns.

Rarity Notes

R.8. Existence disputed; 1-2 examples if genuine, may be misattributed kettle tokens.

Cross References

Pollock-38