1879 Proof Four Dollar Pattern - J-1637a, Stella Coiled Hair

Coin Details

Auction Record

$66,000 • PR63 • 03-29-2023 • Stack's Bowers

Description

Proof four dollar pattern struck in 1879, the culminating year of the metric coinage movement, highlighted by the famous Stella ($4 gold) patterns and final goloid dollar experiments before the program was abandoned. This proof striking in gold is part of the the proposed Stella international trade coin, designed to approximate European gold denominations conducted at the Philadelphia Mint under Chief Engraver William Barber. The letter suffix indicates a different composition or die state from the base J-1637 variety.

Rarity Notes

R-7 to R-8 (Extremely Rare). Gold denomination patterns from this era are among the rarest, with most varieties known in fewer than ten specimens.

Cross References

Judd J-1637a, Pollock P-1782a