1859 Proof Half Dollar Pattern - J-242

Coin Details

Auction Record

$4,800 • PR64 RB PCGS • 01-2024 • Heritage Auctions (Simpson Collection)

Description

Judd-242 is the copper counterpart of J-241, sharing the same die combination of Longacre's "French Head of Liberty" obverse and the cereal wreath reverse with 50 CENTS. Struck in copper with a reeded edge, J-242 presents the celebrated French Head design in warm brown and red-brown tones. The obverse features the Romanesque bust of Liberty facing right with a crown of oak and vine leaves and a LIBERTY scroll, while the reverse displays the cereal wreath enclosing the denomination. Despite sharing dies with the relatively common silver J-241, the copper version is noticeably scarcer, with somewhat more than 30 specimens believed extant. The design details are often sharper on copper strikings due to the metal's greater malleability compared to the harder silver alloy. Copper French Head half dollar patterns are prized by collectors for their distinctive appearance and relative scarcity.

Rarity Notes

R.5. Approximately 30+ copper examples exist.

Cross References

Pollock-298