1880 Proof Dollar Pattern - J-1651

Coin Details

Auction Record

$17,250 PR66+* 06-14-2011 Stack's Bowers

Description

Opening the third group of 1880 dollar patterns, J-1651 features a modified version of William Barber's Liberty head obverse — distinct from the coronet Liberty used on J-1645 — paired with the goloid metric reverse bearing the alloy formula and weight specifications. This variant explores a different artistic treatment of the Liberty concept while retaining the core goloid metric program's technical reverse. Struck in the goloid alloy itself, J-1651 is documented as containing approximately 5.46% gold, 84.54% silver, and 10% copper in a 14-gram planchet — a precise formulation that Dr. Hubbell claimed would be virtually impossible for counterfeiters to replicate. The three-group structure of the 1880 goloid metric dollar patterns — with each group struck in goloid, copper, and aluminum — demonstrates the systematic approach Charles Barber brought to completing his father's unfinished program. The deliberate pairing of multiple obverse designs with a common technical reverse enabled direct comparison of the artistic options.

Rarity Notes

R-7-. Approximately 10-15 examples are estimated to survive, making this slightly more available than other 1880 goloid metric varieties.

Cross References

Judd J-1651, Pollock P-1851