1870 Proof Half Dime Pattern - J-822

Coin Details

Description

An aluminum striking of the Seated Liberty obverse with wreath reverse, J-822 is among the lightest coins in the entire 1870 Standard Silver series. The half dime planchet was already tiny in silver, and aluminum's density of roughly one-quarter that of silver would have produced an almost impossibly delicate coin. Handling an aluminum half dime would have been an unusual sensory experience for nineteenth-century evaluators accustomed to the reassuring heft of silver, raising immediate questions about public willingness to accept such an insubstantial piece as money.

Rarity Notes

R-7 to R-8. Very rare, approximately 3-8 examples known.

Cross References

Judd-822, Pollock-915