1862 Proof Eagle Pattern - J-297, Gilt

Coin Details

Description

Judd-297 Gilt is a gilt copper proof of the 1862 eagle pattern with the GOD OUR TRUST motto, extending the Civil War-era motto experimentation into its second year on the ten-dollar gold denomination. The obverse carries the coronet Liberty Head design with stars and the date 1862, while the reverse integrates the experimental motto with the heraldic eagle. By 1862, the motto program had gained considerable momentum. Secretary Chase had formally directed the Mint to prepare inscriptions acknowledging divine authority, and Mint Director James Pollock was enthusiastically pursuing the project across multiple denominations. The continuation of gold eagle motto patterns into 1862 indicates that the Mint anticipated the motto would eventually appear on all denominations, including gold, though it would not actually reach gold coinage until the Motto Act of 1866. The gilt copper format on this pattern served the same practical function as on the 1861 gilt eagle patterns: providing a cost-effective medium for design evaluation. However, the 1862 pieces may also reflect the increasingly dire state of gold availability. By mid-1862, gold was trading at a substantial premium over paper currency, and the Mint was converting far less gold into coins than in pre-war years. Using gilt copper for experimental strikings conserved the precious metal for essential coinage. These patterns collectively document the wartime development of a motto that would become one of the most recognized and debated features of American coinage, ultimately being elevated to the status of national motto by Congress in 1956.

Rarity Notes

R.7 to R.8. Extremely rare. Most known specimens are in copper or gilt copper rather than gold.

Cross References

Judd-297; Gilt copper; GOD OUR TRUST motto series; cf. J-297 (copper)