1859 Proof Half Dollar Pattern - J-252

Coin Details

Description

Judd-252 is a copper pattern half dollar from the 1859 Paquet series, struck with the same die combination as its silver counterpart but in copper. The obverse features one of Paquet's experimental Liberty designs, and the reverse displays a wreath enclosing the denomination. Struck in copper with a reeded edge, J-252 shows the design in warm brown tones. Copper strikings in the higher-numbered Judd varieties of the 1859 half dollar series are among the rarest, as fewer were produced for each successive die combination. The 1859 half dollar pattern series as a whole represents the most extensive single-denomination design review in American pattern coinage, with over twenty distinct Judd numbers assigned to different die combinations, metals, and varieties.

Rarity Notes

R.7+. Fewer than 6 copper examples exist.

Cross References

Pollock-291