1808 Half Eagle Pattern - J-40, Private Restrike

Coin Details

Auction Record

$26,400 MS63 08-31-2022 Stack's Bowers

Description

Designated Judd-40 (Pollock-6175, High R.7), this intriguing piece is technically a fantasy striking rather than a true pattern, though it has long been classified within the pattern series. The obverse die originates from the 1808 BD-2 half eagle, identifiable by its diagnostic low date with the numeral 1 centered over two denticles — though heavy die rust obscures this feature on surviving examples. The reverse comes from an earlier 1804 BD-7 die, recognizable by the leaf pointing toward the left serif of the I in AMERICA, the lowest arrow aligned with the right upright of the N in UNITED, and the bottom of star 12 directed toward the right side of the B in PLURIBUS. Struck in silver with a plain edge, this piece mates two dies from different years within the half eagle series — an illogical but not deceptive pairing, since the silver composition made no pretense of passing as gold coinage. The creation of this piece is attributed to Joseph J. Mickley, the pioneering Philadelphia collector who purchased scrap dies from the Mint in the early 1860s. Mickley produced several such fantasy pieces from heavily rusted die pairings, creating numismatic curiosities that have fascinated collectors for over 150 years. Only a handful of examples are known.