1866 Proof Three Dollar Pattern - J-543a

Coin Details

Description

Designated with the "a" suffix indicating a variant striking, this three-dollar pattern differs from J-543 in composition or some technical aspect of production. The three-dollar gold piece was among the scarcest denominations to receive the IN GOD WE TRUST motto in 1866, and pattern varieties in this series are correspondingly rare. Longacre's Indian Princess design had proven durable since 1854, surviving with only minor modifications through what would eventually be a forty-year production run ending in 1889. The 1866 motto addition was the most significant change the design underwent, and this variant pattern documents one of the alternative approaches considered. The proof striking format preserves the full detail of both the obverse headdress and the reverse agricultural wreath that made this denomination's design among the most distinctively American in the coinage series.

Rarity Notes

R.7 to R.8. Approximately 3-8 examples exist.

Cross References

Pollock-3611