1896 Proof Nickel Pattern - J-1771

Coin Details

Auction Record

$13,200 PR66 04-25-2021 Heritage Auctions

Description

Judd-1771 is a proof pattern five-cent piece struck in pure nickel with a plain edge, featuring a larger and more prominent shield than the J-1770 design. The obverse displays a bold shield as the central device with LIBERTY incused directly into the shield's face rather than on a separate scroll, flanked by two long poles behind — one surmounted by a Phrygian liberty cap and the other by a perched eagle. E PLURIBUS UNUM appears above and the date 1896 below. The reverse features a large numeral 5 in the center with CENTS below, surrounded by a curved olive sprig and UNITED STATES OF AMERICA around the border. This design variant's incused LIBERTY on the shield itself, rather than on an overlaid scroll, creates a more integrated and structurally unified composition that hearkens even more directly to the original 1866 Shield Nickel by James B. Longacre. The pure nickel composition produces brilliant, silvery-white proof surfaces with excellent reflectivity. Heritage Auctions has described this design as "significant" among American pattern coinage, noting that the large shield motif creates a visually striking and distinctly patriotic coin. The design differences between J-1770 and J-1771 demonstrate that Barber prepared at least two distinct obverse treatments for the five-cent denomination, giving Congress and the Treasury options beyond just alloy composition.

Rarity Notes

R-6. Approximately 15 to 20 examples exist.

Cross References

Judd J-1771, Pollock P-1986