1883 Proof Nickel Pattern - J-1710

Coin Details

Auction Record

PR67 Cameo (NGC) offered at Heritage Auctions.

Description

This proof pattern features a reverse inscribed "50 N. 50C." centered within a wreath of corn and cotton, with FIVE above and CENTS below, indicating a proposed alloy of 50% nickel and 50% copper. The obverse carries the Liberty Head portrait similar to the adopted 1883 design but with the legend UNITED STATES OF AMERICA substituted for the thirteen stars around the periphery. Struck in nickel with a plain edge, J-1710 documents the Mint's evaluation of a significantly different alloy ratio from the established 75/25 copper-nickel formula. A 50/50 alloy would have produced a coin with distinctly different color and hardness characteristics compared to both the standard composition and the pure nickel alternative — lighter in color than 75/25 copper-nickel but softer and easier to strike than pure nickel. The numerical inscription format on the reverse, expressing composition as a ratio, represents an approach to reverse design that prioritized metallurgical transparency over the decorative Roman numeral treatment ultimately adopted. Heritage Auctions has handled PR67 Cameo examples of this variety, demonstrating that surviving specimens can exhibit exceptional proof surfaces with deeply reflective fields and sharply frosted devices.

Rarity Notes

R-5 (Scarce). Approximately 25-40 examples estimated, making this one of the more available varieties in the 1883 pattern series.

Cross References

Judd J-1710, Pollock P-1914