1851 Proof Dollar Pattern - J-132, Restrike

Coin Details

Description

Judd-132 (Pollock-159, Low R.7) is a copper restrike of the 1851 Seated Liberty dollar, struck with a reeded edge. Both the obverse and reverse dies carry the standard Seated Liberty dollar design, but the restrike can be distinguished from genuine 1851 dollars by the centering of the date: on the restrike dies, the numerals are evenly positioned, whereas the original 1851 dies show the date slanting slightly upward. The rarity of 1851 silver dollars was recognized by collectors from the earliest days of organized numismatics. Mint Director James Ross Snowden responded to this demand by including the 1851 dollar in his restrike program beginning in 1859. Silver restrikes became available relatively quickly, but copper examples like J-132 appeared on the market only several years later. The first recorded auction appearance was in the F.S. Edwards Sale (Edward Cogan, October 1865), lot 1995, where the cataloger described it simply as "1851, Fine proof. In copper. Silver dollar size." It sold for $12, a considerable price at the time. USPatterns.com estimates fewer than a dozen specimens exist. The copper composition makes these pieces highly appealing to collectors who prize the visual contrast and sharp detail that copper strikings often exhibit compared to their silver counterparts.