1916 Proof Half Dollar Pattern - J-1800/1996

Coin Details

Auction Record

$40,800 PR8 08-20-2019 Stack's Bowers

Description

A dual-numbered Walking Liberty half dollar pattern cataloged as J-1800 and 1996. This proof striking contributes to the comprehensive documentation of Weinman's design evaluation, representing yet another die pairing or striking variant in the series. The 1916 Triple Redesign — encompassing the dime, quarter, and half dollar — was the most sweeping overhaul of American circulating coinage since the introduction of the Barber designs in 1892, and arguably the most artistically ambitious since the original coin designs of the 1790s. The coordinated redesign was driven by the twenty-five-year minimum tenure provision in the Coinage Act of 1890, which barred design changes within twenty-five years of adoption without Congressional approval. The Barber designs had reached this threshold by 1916, freeing the Mint and the Commission of Fine Arts to pursue new designs without legislative action. J-1800 preserves evidence of the design refinement process for the half dollar, the largest silver denomination in the redesigned suite and the one that offered the most expansive canvas for Weinman's sculptural ambitions.

Rarity Notes

R-7 (Extremely Rare). Walking Liberty half dollar patterns are very scarce across all varieties.

Cross References

Judd J-1800, also cataloged as 1996