1891 Proof Half Dollar Pattern - J-1764

Coin Details

Description

Judd-1764 is a unique proof pattern half dollar submitted by Chief Engraver Charles Barber to Mint Director Edward O. Leech in late October 1891 as part of the silver coin redesign project. The obverse features Barber's Liberty Head design, which Leech considered the most dignified and eye-appealing of the submitted variations. The head of Liberty faces right with a laurel wreath and the inscription LIBERTY visible, surrounded by thirteen stars representing the original colonies, with the date 1891 below. The reverse depicts the heraldic eagle with spread wings bearing a national shield, holding arrows and an olive branch, with the denomination HALF DOLLAR below. Leech specifically chose the obverse of J-1764 as his preferred treatment, praising its balanced proportions and classical dignity. The subtle differences between the obverse of J-1764 and those of J-1762, J-1763, and J-1765 involved the positioning of Liberty's head relative to the surrounding stars and legends, as well as variations in the relief and detailing of the laurel wreath. These refinements may seem minor to the casual observer, but they significantly affected the coin's overall aesthetic impact and striking characteristics. J-1764 represents a critical step in the design evolution that produced one of the most recognizable American coin types of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

Rarity Notes

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

Cross References

Judd J-1764, Pollock P-1979