1805 Half Eagle Pattern - J-36, Private Restrike

Coin Details

Auction Record

$170 NGC Genuine 08-04-2023 eBay

Description

Judd-36 is a private restrike combining a rusted 1805 Capped Bust Right half eagle obverse die with Montroville Dickeson's famous "Eagle on Shield" reverse die. Dr. Dickeson, a professor of medicine and avid numismatist, acquired discarded federal obverse dies and muled them with his own reverse die depicting an eagle perched on a shield, which he also used for his well-known 1792 "trial piece" fantasy tokens. The 1805 half eagle obverse shows the Capped Bust Liberty portrait with heavy die cracks and rust pitting, consistent with varieties BD-1 and BD-2 in the Bass-Dannreuther reference. The piece was struck in copper on a planchet larger than a half eagle, then hand-trimmed to approximately the correct diameter. These Dickeson restrikes were produced circa 1859-1865 and are among the rarest and most unusual of all 19th-century numismatic curiosities.

Rarity Notes

High R.7 to R.8. Approximately 3 or fewer examples known.

Cross References

Pollock-6036