1805 Half Eagle Pattern - J-37

Coin Details

Auction Record

$7,200 MS60BN 04-29-2018 Heritage Auctions

Description

Judd-37 is cataloged as a copper die trial of the 1805 Capped Bust Right half eagle with Heraldic Eagle reverse. The obverse features Robert Scot's Capped Bust portrait of Liberty facing right with the date 1805, while the reverse displays the standard Heraldic Eagle design used on half eagles of this period. Regular-issue 1805 half eagles had a mintage of 33,183 pieces in gold. Unlike the Dickeson-muled J-36, this piece uses the original federal reverse die paired with the 1805 obverse, making it a true die trial in the conventional sense rather than a fantasy mule. Copper die trials from early American gold denominations are extraordinarily rare, as the Mint produced very few test pieces and even fewer have survived into modern collections. This coin provides a valuable record of the die state used for 1805 half eagle production.

Rarity Notes

R.8. Be unique or nearly so.

Cross References

Pollock-44