1891 Proof Half Dollar Pattern - J-1763

Coin Details

Description

Judd-1763 is the unique proof pattern half dollar from the 1891 design competition that most closely resembles the adopted Barber half dollar design of 1892. The obverse features Charles Barber's Liberty Head facing right, adorned with a laurel wreath and Phrygian cap, surrounded by thirteen stars with the date 1891 below and IN GOD WE TRUST on a ribbon above. The reverse displays the heraldic eagle design without the clouds that appear on J-1762, presenting a cleaner composition that would become the standard for three decades of half dollar production from 1892 through 1915. The eagle spreads its wings while clutching arrows and an olive branch, with E PLURIBUS UNUM on a scroll above, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA around the upper border, and HALF DOLLAR below. This design was approved by President Benjamin Harrison and his cabinet in November 1891, making J-1763 the direct prototype for one of American numismatics' most enduring coin types. The distinction between J-1762 (with clouds) and J-1763 (without clouds) represents the final design refinement that determined the appearance of millions of circulating half dollars. Like all seven unique 1891 Barber pattern coins, J-1763 resides in the Smithsonian Institution's National Numismatic Collection, transferred there with the Mint Cabinet in 1923.

Rarity Notes

R-8. Unique. Single specimen in the Smithsonian National Numismatic Collection. The adopted design.

Cross References

Judd J-1763, Pollock P-1978