1870 Proof Quarter Pattern - J-884

Coin Details

Description

Copper with a reeded edge, J-884 carries Barber's Seated Liberty obverse paired with the regular-issue With Motto eagle reverse. The juxtaposition of a base-metal composition with the familiar quarter reverse design creates a striking cognitive dissonance: the reverse announces this as a United States quarter dollar, yet the copper planchet contradicts that identity. These off-metal strikings were prized by pattern collectors of the period, who assembled complete compositional sets documenting every metal in which a given die pair was employed.

Rarity Notes

R-6. Rare, estimated 15-25 examples survive.

Cross References

Judd-884, Pollock-982