1882 Proof Nickel Pattern - J-1694a

Coin Details

Description

Composition variant of J-1694, the letter suffix indicating a different metal from the primary striking. This variant was struck in copper or an alternative alloy to test how the near-final Liberty Head design would appear on a different planchet material. By this advanced stage in the design development process, off-metal strikings served primarily as reference specimens and potential presentation pieces rather than as design evaluation tools, since the basic design decisions had already been made. The existence of letter-suffix variants among the later 1882 patterns indicates that the Mint continued its thorough compositional testing even as the design converged on its final form. These alternate-metal strikings complement the copper-nickel production prototypes by documenting the design's appearance across the full range of planchet materials available to the Philadelphia Mint.

Rarity Notes

R-7 to R-8 (Extremely Rare). Letter-suffix variants are characteristically rarer than their base counterparts, with an estimated 3-6 specimens known.

Cross References

Judd J-1694a, Pollock P-1896a