1804 Proof Eagle Pattern - J-34

Coin Details

Auction Record

$504,000 • PR64 PCGS • 01-2024 • Heritage Auctions

Description

Judd-34 is a silver die trial struck from the same dies used for the gold 1804 Plain 4 proof eagle (J-33), distinguished by its reeded edge. This piece was produced to test and perfect the dies before the precious gold proof strikings were made for the diplomatic presentation sets of the mid-1830s. The obverse and reverse designs are identical to the J-33: Capped Bust Liberty with the Plain 4 date on the obverse, and the Heraldic Eagle reverse. Struck in silver rather than gold, these die trials provide invaluable evidence of the Mint's die-testing procedures for the diplomatic proof coinage program. Andrew Pollock cataloged this piece as Pollock-46 in his United States Patterns and Related Issues, while declining to list the gold J-33 as a pattern proper. The silver composition and surviving die states help numismatic researchers understand the sequence and care with which the Mint approached these historically significant diplomatic coins.

Rarity Notes

High R.7. Only 3-4 examples exist.

Cross References

Pollock-46