View All 1859 Half Dollar Patterns

1859 Proof Half Dollar Pattern - J-236

Strike Type
1859 Proof Half Dollar Pattern - J-236

Coin Details

Year
1859
Denomination
Patterns
Mint Mark
P
Strike Type
Proof
Series
Early Republic Patterns (1792-1859)
Designer
James B. Longacre (obverse); Anthony C. Paquet (reverse)
Composition
Copper
Weight
12.44g
Diameter
30.6mm
Edge
Reeded

Auction Record

$6,600 PR60 10-06-1991 Superior Galleries

Description

Judd-236 is a copper striking of a pattern half dollar from the 1859 French Head series. The obverse displays Longacre's "French Head of Liberty" -- a Romanesque bust of Liberty facing right wearing a crown of oak and vine leaves with LIBERTY on a scroll at her neck, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA around the border, and the date 1859. The reverse features Paquet's Liberty Seated with fasces design, identical to the J-235 die combination but struck in copper rather than silver. Copper strikings in the 1859 half dollar pattern series are generally scarcer than their silver counterparts, as the Mint produced fewer for collector distribution. The brown and red tones characteristic of copper give this pattern a distinctly different aesthetic from the silver version, while preserving the same sharp design details. J-236 is moderately rare within the 1859 half dollar pattern series.

Rarity Notes

R.6. Approximately 15-25 examples exist.

Cross References

Pollock-283; Pollock-285

External References

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