1870 Proof Half Dime Pattern - J-823

Coin Details

Auction Record

$9,775 PR65 01-25-2004 Superior Galleries

Description

Distinguished by a Liberty Head obverse with different hair detail from other portrait varieties in the series, this copper-nickel half dime pattern pairs its distinctive bust with a wreath reverse. Hair treatment was one of the primary ways nineteenth-century engravers individualized their Liberty portraits, and Barber's variations in curl arrangement, ribbon placement, and overall hair volume across the 1870 half dime subseries document his search for the most aesthetically successful rendering. The copper-nickel composition gives this portrait variant a crisp, silvery appearance distinct from the warmer tones of silver strikings.

Rarity Notes

R-6 to R-7. Approximately 10-20 examples known.

Cross References

Judd-823, Pollock-916