1915 Proof Dollar Pattern - J-1793a-3/1966

Coin Details

Auction Record

$55,813 PR62 01-09-2013 Heritage Auctions

Description

The third sub-variety of the J-1793a dollar pattern series, cross-referenced to catalog number 1966. The shift to a different alternative catalog number from the 1965 assigned to sub-varieties 1 and 2 may indicate a change in the reverse die or a fundamentally different design pairing. The Panama-Pacific commemorative coinage program was the first in American history to span five denominations, and the extensive pattern production for a sixth denomination — the dollar — reveals just how seriously the Mint considered expanding the series further. Chief Engraver Charles Barber, who had held the position since 1879 and was nearing the end of his career (he would die in February 1917), prepared these dollar patterns during a period of extraordinary creative output at the Philadelphia Mint. The 1915 patterns were produced alongside regular commemorative production, requiring Barber and his staff to manage multiple design programs simultaneously. Sub-variety 3's association with the 1966 catalog number indicates it may feature an alternative reverse arrangement or a modified treatment of the Pan-Pacific thematic elements — a different rendering of the canal, exposition buildings, or allegorical figures celebrating American engineering achievement.

Rarity Notes

R-7 to R-8 (Extremely Rare). Pan-Pacific dollar sub-varieties are exceptionally scarce.

Cross References

Judd J-1793a-3, also cataloged as 1966