1884 Proof Three Dollar Pattern - J-1735

Coin Details

Auction Record

$36,000 PR64RB 01-14-2024 Heritage Auctions

Description

A copper striking of the 1884 three-dollar gold piece, J-1735 documents one of the most unusual denominations in American coinage history. The three-dollar gold coin had been introduced in 1854, ostensibly to facilitate the purchase of three-cent postage stamps in bulk, though this rationale was questioned even at the time. By 1884, the denomination had dwindled to proof-only production with minuscule mintages — just 1,106 business strikes and proofs combined were produced that year — making it one of the most marginal denominations in the American monetary system. James B. Longacre's distinctive Indian Princess design for the three-dollar piece features a female Liberty wearing a feathered headdress on the obverse and a wreath surrounding the denomination on the reverse, creating one of the most recognizable designs in American gold coinage despite the denomination's obscurity. The copper trial striking preserves this design in sharp detail, with the red-brown copper surface providing a dramatic contrast to the gold of the production coins. The three-dollar denomination would survive only five more years, with its last coins struck in 1889.

Rarity Notes

R-7 to R-8 (Extremely Rare). Approximately 3-5 examples estimated. Copper three-dollar patterns are rare in any year, and late-date examples from the denomination's declining years are particularly scarce.

Cross References

Judd J-1735, Pollock P-1946