1858 Proof Half Dollar Pattern - J-223

Coin Details

Description

Cataloged as Judd-223, this 1858 half dollar pattern is a copper impression struck from the regular Seated Liberty half dollar dies. The obverse presents Christian Gobrecht's Seated Liberty figure holding a liberty cap on a pole and resting against a shield inscribed LIBERTY, with thirteen stars around the border and the date 1858 below. The reverse displays the heraldic eagle with UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and the denomination HALF DOL. The year 1858 marked a turning point for proof coinage at the Philadelphia Mint. Director James Ross Snowden began actively promoting the sale of proof coins to the public, initially without even charging a premium over face value. The term "proof" itself came into common usage around this time; earlier Mint correspondence referred to such pieces as "master" coins. An estimated 300 proof half dollars were struck for collectors, though the exact figure was never recorded. Walter Breen identified two obverse dies for the 1858 proof half dollar. This copper striking preserves the same designs in a different metal, with a reeded edge matching the regular silver issue.