1885 Proof Double Eagle Pattern - J-1756

Coin Details

Auction Record

$54,050 • PR66 PCGS • 08-2015 • Heritage Auctions

Description

Judd-1756 is the 1885 Coronet double eagle pattern struck in aluminum with a reeded edge, the capstone denomination of the 1885 comprehensive aluminum set. The obverse features the Coronet Head Liberty design by James B. Longacre, with LIBERTY on the coronet, thirteen stars around the periphery, and the date 1885 below. The reverse displays the heraldic eagle with the rays-and-glory device, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA around the top, and TWENTY D. at the bottom. In production gold, the $20 double eagle was the largest denomination in regular American coinage and contained nearly an ounce of gold — as an aluminum pattern, J-1756 weighs a tiny fraction of its gold counterpart, making the disconnect between the stated denomination and the metal's intrinsic value especially dramatic. Only two examples of J-1756 are confirmed: one graded PCGS Proof 66, which realized $54,050 in August 2015, and another graded PCGS Proof 64. Although cataloged as die trials, these pieces were almost certainly struck deliberately for sale to collectors as part of aluminum proof sets, a practice that Mint officials conducted with varying degrees of official sanction throughout the Gilded Age. The double eagle pattern is invariably the most sought-after denomination in any aluminum set, combining the majesty of the largest standard American gold coin with the extreme rarity inherent in pattern production.

Rarity Notes

R-8. Only 2 confirmed specimens. Among the most valuable entries in the 1885 aluminum set.

Cross References

Judd J-1756, Pollock P-1969