1877 Proof Half Dollar Pattern - J-1509a

Coin Details

Description

Proof half dollar pattern struck in 1877, at the peak of goloid metric experimentation, when Mint Director Linderman pursued aggressive testing of silver-gold-copper alloy compositions for potential international trade coins. This proof striking in silver or goloid is part of the half dollar design and composition experiments, with many varieties testing goloid metric alloys combining silver, gold, and copper conducted at the Philadelphia Mint under Chief Engraver William Barber. The letter suffix indicates a different composition or die state from the base J-1509 variety.

Rarity Notes

R-6 to R-7 (Very Rare to Extremely Rare). Half dollar patterns from the goloid metric series survive in small numbers.

Cross References

Judd J-1509a, Pollock P-1654a