1884 Proof Dollar Pattern - J-1733

Coin Details

Auction Record

$60,000 PR64 11-13-2007 Stack's

Description

A copper striking of a Morgan dollar pattern from 1884, J-1733 features the design created by George T. Morgan that had been in continuous production since 1878. Unlike the Trade Dollar patterns (J-1731 and J-1732), which carry the drama of secret strikings and numismatic mystery, J-1733 represents the more routine category of off-metal die trials produced from standard production dies. Copper impressions of current-year dollar designs served multiple purposes: they tested die quality before silver planchets were used, they provided inexpensive specimens for distribution to collectors and officials, and they documented the state of the dies at a particular point in the production cycle. The Morgan dollar design was by 1884 firmly established as the standard American silver dollar, backed by the mandatory silver purchases of the Bland-Allison Act. Morgan's Liberty Head obverse and heraldic eagle reverse would continue in production through 1904 and again in 1921, making it one of the longest-running designs in American coinage. Copper pattern strikings from individual years within this extended run are consistently rare, as they were never produced in significant quantities.

Rarity Notes

R-7 to R-8 (Extremely Rare). Approximately 3-6 examples estimated. Copper off-metal Morgan dollar patterns are rare in any year.

Cross References

Judd J-1733, Pollock P-1944