1865 Proof Three Dollar Pattern - J-444

Coin Details

Auction Record

$16,100 PR60 01-01-2009 Stack's

Description

Judd-444 is cataloged as a nickel striking of the 1865 three-dollar piece using regular production dies with a reeded edge. Nickel's bright, silvery color makes this pattern visually distinctive from both the golden regular issue and the warmer-toned copper patterns of the same denomination. The extreme hardness of nickel presented significant challenges for producing a coin of three-dollar size, as the striking pressure required to fully bring up the design was considerably greater than for softer metals. Three-dollar patterns in nickel are among the rarest items in the entire 1865 pattern series. Longacre's Indian Princess design, with its detailed feathered headdress and intricate reverse wreath, tested the limits of what nickel planchets could reproduce under the coining press.

Rarity Notes

Extremely rare. Only a handful of specimens exist. The nickel composition adds to the already extreme rarity of three-dollar off-metal patterns.

Cross References

Judd-444