1885 Proof Dime Pattern - J-1744

Coin Details

Auction Record

$23,000 PR67 09-17-2003 Goldberg Auctioneers

Description

Judd-1744 is an 1885 Seated Liberty dime pattern struck in aluminum with a reeded edge. The obverse features the familiar Seated Liberty design by Christian Gobrecht, with Liberty seated on a rock holding a liberty cap on a pole and a shield inscribed LIBERTY, thirteen stars around the periphery, and the date 1885. The reverse displays the denomination ONE DIME within a cereal wreath with UNITED STATES OF AMERICA around the border. The Seated Liberty dime had been in continuous production since 1837, and by 1885 it was approaching its final years — the design would be replaced by Charles Barber's eponymous Barber dime in 1892 following the landmark coinage design competition of 1891. This aluminum striking uses the regular production dies of the year, making it technically a die trial or presentation piece rather than a pattern proposing a new design. It was struck as part of the comprehensive 1885 aluminum set that spanned all active denominations. The dime denomination had been struck in silver since its inception, and aluminum served no practical role in dime production, underscoring the purely numismatic purpose of these strikings.

Rarity Notes

R-7 to R-8. Extremely rare, with fewer than 5 specimens believed extant.

Cross References

Judd J-1744, Pollock P-1956