1885 Proof Eagle Pattern - J-1755

Coin Details

Auction Record

$29,900 • PR66 NGC • 01-2006 • Heritage Auctions

Description

Judd-1755 is the 1885 Coronet eagle pattern struck in aluminum with a reeded edge. The obverse features the Coronet Head Liberty design by Christian Gobrecht, with LIBERTY on the coronet, thirteen stars, and the date 1885. The reverse displays the heraldic eagle with shield, arrows, and olive branch, surrounded by UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and TEN D. below, with IN GOD WE TRUST on a scroll above the eagle. The eagle denomination had undergone its most recent design modification in 1866 with the addition of the motto, and by 1885 the design was well established in its With Motto form. This aluminum striking uses the regular production dies of the year, creating a lightweight curiosity piece that dramatically understates the denomination's $10 gold face value. The piece was part of the comprehensive 1885 aluminum set and was produced for the collector market. Heritage Auctions has recorded sales of J-1755 specimens graded as high as PR66, demonstrating that despite their extreme rarity, some examples have survived in exceptional condition — the result of careful preservation by the original collectors who acquired them directly or shortly after their production at the Philadelphia Mint.

Rarity Notes

R-7 to R-8. Approximately 2 to 4 specimens estimated.

Cross References

Judd J-1755, Pollock P-1968