1885 Proof Dollar Pattern - J-1748

Coin Details

Auction Record

$9,405 PR66 04-26-2015 Heritage Auctions

Description

Judd-1748 is an 1885 Morgan dollar pattern struck in aluminum with a reeded edge, using the standard Morgan dollar dies of the year. The obverse features George T. Morgan's iconic Liberty head facing left with the Phrygian cap, cotton blossoms, and wheat ears in the hair, E PLURIBUS UNUM above, thirteen stars around the periphery, and the date 1885 below. The reverse displays the heraldic eagle with outstretched wings grasping arrows and olive branch, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and ONE DOLLAR around the border, and IN GOD WE TRUST on a scroll above the eagle. The use of aluminum creates a dramatically lighter coin — weighing a fraction of the standard 26.73-gram silver dollar — with a distinctive bright silvery-white surface. This piece was struck as part of the comprehensive 1885 aluminum set and carries no practical design purpose, since the Morgan dollar design was well established by its seventh year of production. Aluminum patterns of all denominations were produced primarily for the collector market, and complete or near-complete 1885 aluminum sets were occasionally assembled and sold through numismatic channels. The reeded edge on J-1748 contrasts with the lettered edge found on its silver counterpart J-1747, indicating that this piece was not part of Superintendent Snowden's anti-counterfeiting edge experiment.

Rarity Notes

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

Cross References

Judd J-1748, Pollock P-1960