View All 1878 Half Eagle Patterns

1878 Proof Half Eagle Pattern - J-1568a

Strike Type
1878 (P) Patterns coin

Coin Details

Year
1878
Denomination
Patterns
Mint Mark
P
Strike Type
Proof
Series
Metric & Stella Patterns (1874-1879)
Designer
Charles E. Barber (Flowing Hair) / George T. Morgan (Coiled Hair)
Composition
Copper

Auction Record

$11,500 PR63 09-08-2009 Goldberg Auctioneers

Description

The 1878 Proof Half Eagle Pattern - J-1568a is a proof Gold Half Eagle struck at the Philadelphia Mint, part of the Metric & Stella Patterns (1874-1879) series. The obverse features experimental designs including the famous Stella ($4 gold piece) featuring Liberty with flowing hair or coiled hair and the reverse displays a five-pointed star containing the denomination FOUR DOL.. Struck during the Gilded Age of rapid industrialization and the great silver debates, when monetary policy shaped elections and economic destiny. As a proof issue, this coin was struck multiple times on specially prepared polished planchets using polished dies, producing mirror-like fields and frosted design elements prized by collectors. Struck at the original U.S. Mint facility, in continuous operation since 1792. Auction record: $11,500 PR63 09-08-2009 Goldberg Auctioneers. Struck in copper. Cataloged as PCGS #61931.

Rarity Notes

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

Cross References

Judd J-1568a, Pollock P-1713a

External References

Error Varieties

No listings found

This category doesn't have any child listings yet.

Other Strike Types in This Series

Collector Essentials

Tools and references for building and protecting your coin collection.

As an Amazon Associate, NumisDex earns from qualifying purchases.