1916 Proof Gold Dollar Pattern - J-A1916-1, MCKINLEY VARIANT

Coin Details

Description

An appendix-numbered gold dollar pattern from the 1916 McKinley Memorial commemorative program, cataloged as a variant of the adopted McKinley gold dollar design. The J-A prefix identifies this as an item added to the Judd catalog after the main numbering sequence was established. The "McKinley Variant" designation indicates that this piece carries a modified version of Charles Keck's adopted design — an earlier die state, an alternative portrait orientation, or a different reverse treatment of the memorial building. President William McKinley, the twenty-fifth President of the United States, was assassinated by anarchist Leon Czolgosz at the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, New York, on September 6, 1901, dying eight days later. The commemorative gold dollar program, authorized alongside a half dollar denomination, aimed to raise funds for a national memorial at McKinley's birthplace in Niles, Ohio. The memorial, designed by McKim, Mead & White in a classical Doric style, was dedicated in 1917. As an appendix entry with a variant designation, J-A1916-1 represents a design iteration that was evaluated during the development of Keck's adopted portrait but was not selected for production. Gold dollar patterns with appendix designations are exceptionally rare.

Rarity Notes

R-8 (Extremely Rare). Appendix-numbered gold denomination patterns are among the rarest American pattern coins.

Cross References

Judd J-A1916-1