1880 Proof Dollar Pattern - J-1656

Coin Details

Auction Record

$49,350 PR67 04-26-2017 Heritage Auctions

Description

The aluminum version of the miniature 22mm goloid metric dollar, J-1656 combines the smallest diameter with the lightest metal used in the 1880 dollar pattern program, producing what may be the most physically insubstantial dollar-denomination coin ever struck at the Philadelphia Mint. Weighing a single gram, this coin barely registers when placed on the palm — an extraordinary sensation for something inscribed ONE DOLLAR. The piece pushed the conceptual boundaries of the goloid metric program to their logical extreme: if the alloy's inherent resistance to counterfeiting was the true guarantor of value, then physical size and weight were theoretically irrelevant. Of course, this reasoning ignored the deeply ingrained public expectation that a dollar should possess a certain gravity and presence, an expectation that had frustrated monetary reformers since the gold dollar's introduction in 1849. This is the final entry in the twelve-piece 1880 goloid metric dollar pattern series, closing a chapter of American coinage history that began with William Barber's first goloid experiments in 1878.

Rarity Notes

R-7 to R-8. Fewer than 8 examples are believed extant. Aluminum strikings of the miniature goloid metric dollar are the rarest composition in this group.

Cross References

Judd J-1656, Pollock P-1856