1870 Proof Half Eagle Pattern - J-1032

Coin Details

Auction Record

$12,600 PR66BN 02-25-2021 Heritage Auctions

Description

Struck in copper from the regular 1870 half eagle dies, J-1032 presents the Coronet Liberty Head obverse and heraldic eagle reverse of the five dollar gold piece in a base-metal composition. The half eagle occupied a central position in nineteenth-century American gold coinage, serving as the workhorse denomination between the smaller quarter eagle and the larger eagle. Copper impressions of half eagle dies were produced in very limited quantities even by the standards of gold denomination patterns, as demand from contemporary collectors for off-metal gold coins was considerably smaller than for the silver denominations at the heart of the Standard Silver program.

Rarity Notes

R-7. Extremely rare, estimated 4-12 examples known. High R-7 per some references.

Cross References

Judd-1032, Pollock-1167