1882 Proof Nickel Pattern - J-1678

Coin Details

Auction Record

$1,320 PR 01-24-1991 Bowers & Merena

Description

Fourth variety in the 1882 nickel pattern series, exploring yet another arrangement of the Liberty Head design elements. By this point in the sequence, Barber was refining the relationship between the obverse portrait and the surrounding legends, a design challenge that had significant practical implications. The placement of UNITED STATES OF AMERICA on the obverse versus the reverse would become a critical issue later in 1882 when Treasury Secretary Charles J. Folger rejected a near-final design because the law required the national legend to appear on the reverse, not the obverse. This early pattern may represent one of the designs that placed the legend on the obverse — a layout that Barber preferred aesthetically but that conflicted with statutory requirements. Struck in copper-nickel with a plain edge, the piece exemplifies the tension between artistic vision and legal constraint that characterized the Liberty Nickel's development.

Rarity Notes

R-6 to R-7 (Very Rare to Extremely Rare). Estimated 8-12 specimens surviving.

Cross References

Judd J-1678, Pollock P-1880