1861 Proof Double Eagle Pattern - J-289

Coin Details

Auction Record

$97,750 PR63 01-05-2011 Heritage Auctions

Description

Judd-289, Pollock-341, is an extremely rare proof double eagle pattern be unique or nearly so. This piece represents another variation of the experimental designs being tested for the twenty-dollar denomination during 1861, a year of immense political and economic upheaval. The outbreak of the Civil War created urgent financial pressures that affected all aspects of the nation's monetary system, and the Mint continued exploring design improvements even as the country fractured. Double eagle patterns from this era are among the rarest of all US patterns because the twenty-dollar denomination required the most gold of any regular issue, and even pattern strikings in copper are scarce.

Rarity Notes

Believed unique or 2-3 known. Rarity-8. One of the rarest Civil War era double eagle patterns.

Cross References

Judd-289; Pollock-341