1916 Gold Dollar Pattern - J-2001

Coin Details

Description

A gold dollar pattern from the 1916 McKinley Memorial commemorative program, cataloged under the single Judd number J-2001. This entry represents either a distinct die pairing or striking variant from the dual-numbered J-1802/2001, or it may be an independently cataloged version of the same design that was assigned its own primary number in a later edition of the Judd reference. The McKinley Memorial gold dollar was one of the final commemorative gold dollars issued by the United States, a denomination format that would not be revisited until the modern commemorative era decades later. Charles Keck's adopted design placed McKinley's portrait on the obverse facing left, with the word McKINLEY above and DOLLAR below. The reverse depicts the proposed McKinley Birthplace Memorial building in Niles, Ohio, with UNITED STATES OF AMERICA above. The memorial was eventually completed in 1917. Gold dollar patterns are inherently rare due to the expense of the precious metal involved, and the McKinley issue's relatively modest mintage makes its associated patterns scarcer still.

Rarity Notes

R-7 to R-8 (Extremely Rare). Gold denomination patterns are among the rarest, with most varieties known in fewer than ten specimens.

Cross References

Judd J-2001, Pollock P-2193