1852 Proof Dollar Pattern - J-148

Coin Details

Auction Record

$13,200 PR66 08-28-2022 Heritage Auctions

Description

Judd-148 (Pollock-176, Low R.7) is the final entry in the series of annular dollar patterns from 1852, struck in copper-nickel with a central perforation and a plain edge. The obverse carries UNITED STATES OF AMERICA around the outer margin with the date 1852 at the bottom. The reverse displays DOLLAR at the top with a wreath around the lower portion. The design is deliberately restrained, emphasizing legibility and functionality over ornamentation, a sensible approach given how little surface area the ring format provides. This particular variety was struck from the late 1850s onward for the collector trade rather than as a genuine experimental piece, as the annular dollar concept had been effectively abandoned by 1853 when Congress reduced silver coinage weights and the gold dollar was enlarged in 1854. The copper-nickel composition gives the coin a distinctive silvery appearance while being far less expensive to produce than gold or silver strikings.