1883 Proof Nickel Pattern - J-1706a

Coin Details

Description

A compositional variant of J-1706, this proof pattern carries the same "PURE NICKEL" wreath reverse and Liberty Head obverse with national legend but was struck on a planchet of different metallic composition, as indicated by the suffix designation. The "a" suffix in the Judd catalog typically identifies a piece that uses the same die combination as the parent number but was struck in a different metal, on a different planchet type, or with a different edge treatment. In the context of the 1883 nickel pattern series, where the Mint was systematically evaluating Charles Barber's new Liberty Head design across multiple alloy compositions, these suffix variants document additional metallurgical experiments beyond the primary series. The existence of multiple composition variants for the same die pairing reflects the thorough nature of the Mint's testing program during a year of major design transition. The replacement of the Shield nickel — which had served for seventeen years — with Barber's Liberty Head design required exhaustive evaluation of how the new design would perform across different metals, and suffix variants like J-1706a capture the full scope of that evaluation process.

Rarity Notes

R-7 to R-8 (Very Rare to Extremely Rare). Suffix variants are typically rarer than their parent numbers, with approximately 4-8 examples surviving.

Cross References

Judd J-1706a, Pollock P-1911