1870 Proof Half Dollar Pattern - J-940

Coin Details

Auction Record

$5,640 PR66+ 03-08-2018 Kagin's

Description

The plain-edge silver companion to J-939, this Liberty Head half dollar pattern with three-star cap and STANDARD wreath reverse was struck from the same die pair but without edge reeding. The tip of Liberty's cap falls under the center of the second S in STATES, a positioning detail that specialists use to authenticate this variety. The Liberty Head design with its forward-facing Phrygian cap represents a neoclassical aesthetic that drew on both ancient Roman symbolism and contemporary French coinage design. Barber's placement of IN GOD WE TRUST on a scroll below the bust was a notable compositional choice, centralizing the motto on the same face as the national identity.

Rarity Notes

R-7. Extremely rare, estimated fewer than a dozen examples survive.

Cross References

Judd-940, Pollock-1053