View All 1870 Half Dollar Patterns

1870 Proof Half Dollar Pattern - J-961

Strike Type
1870 Proof Half Dollar Pattern - J-961

Coin Details

Year
1870
Denomination
Patterns
Mint Mark
P
Strike Type
Proof
Series
Standard Silver Patterns (1870)
Composition
Other

Auction Record

$6,440 PR60 07-26-2003 Heritage Auctions

Description

Opening the sixth obverse grouping in the 1870 Standard Silver half dollar series, J-961 features William Barber's Liberty Head obverse with Liberty facing right and wearing a coronet inscribed LIBERTY, a single star ornamenting the front of the headband and Barber's initial B incised on the truncation of the bust. The reverse carries the Standard Silver design: 50 CENTS and the date 1870 within an open agricultural wreath of corn and cotton, with STANDARD at the upper border. Struck in aluminum with a reeded edge, this piece demonstrates how Barber systematically explored every obverse variant across all three metals in the half dollar program.

Rarity Notes

R-7. Extremely rare, estimated 4-12 examples known.

Cross References

Judd-961, Pollock-1114

External References

Error Varieties

No listings found

This category doesn't have any child listings yet.