1866 Proof Three Dollar Pattern - J-531a

Coin Details

Auction Record

$60,375 PR62 07-27-2008 Stack's

Description

An intriguing variant in the 1866 three-dollar gold pattern series, cataloged with the "a" suffix indicating a compositional or die-state variation from J-531. The three-dollar gold piece was one of Longacre's signature designs, introduced in 1854 with a distinctive Indian Princess Head obverse wearing a feathered headdress (not to be confused with the Indian Head cent's similar motif). The reverse features a wreath of tobacco, wheat, corn, and cotton enclosing the denomination. This pattern tests the motto integration on one of the more unusual American gold denominations — the three-dollar piece had always been something of an oddity, authorized ostensibly to facilitate purchase of three-cent stamps in sheets of one hundred. The "a" designation typically indicates an alternative metal or edge treatment.

Rarity Notes

R.7. Approximately 5-10 examples believed extant.

Cross References

Pollock-3597