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1872 Proof Half Dollar Pattern - J-1204

Strike Type
1872 Proof Half Dollar Pattern - J-1204

Coin Details

Year
1872
Denomination
Patterns
Mint Mark
P
Strike Type
Proof
Series
Trade Dollar Era Patterns (1871-1873)
Composition
Other

Auction Record

$6,050 PR65 06-01-1998 Superior Galleries

Description

Closing the 1872 half dollar series in copper-nickel, J-1204 tests the base-metal alloy at the fifty-cent denomination level. A copper-nickel half dollar would have been a radical departure from silver coinage tradition, foreshadowing the copper-nickel clad halves that would become standard nearly a century later under the Coinage Act of 1965. This piece represents one of the earliest serious explorations of base-metal compositions for America's larger denominations.

Rarity Notes

R-6 to R-7. Approximately 10-15 examples estimated.

Cross References

Judd-1204, Pollock-1340

External References

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