1882 Proof Dollar Pattern - J-1702, Shield Earring

Coin Details

Auction Record

PR64 Deep Cameo PCGS CAC realized $108,000 at Heritage Auctions, January 2019.

Description

The celebrated Shield Earring silver dollar pattern of 1882, designed by George T. Morgan. The obverse features a youthful Liberty facing right, wearing a band inscribed LIBERTY that compresses the back portion of her hair. Her most distinctive feature is the shield-shaped earring — a small, detailed rendering of the heraldic shield — that gives this entire pattern series its name. Thirteen stars surround the portrait, six right and seven left, with the date 1882 below and the motto E PLURIBUS UNUM above. The reverse depicts a powerful, defiant eagle with raised wings facing right, clutching an olive branch in its right talon and three arrows in its left, with UNITED STATES OF AMERICA above and ONE DOLLAR below. Struck in silver with a reeded edge, the Shield Earring dollar is considered alongside the 1872 Amazonian and 1879 Schoolgirl designs as one of the three most beautiful pattern coin designs ever produced at the Philadelphia Mint. Morgan's artistry is particularly evident in the delicate rendering of the earring and the bold, naturalistic treatment of the eagle.

Rarity Notes

R-7 (Extremely Rare). Approximately a dozen specimens are known. Low R.7 per Heritage Auctions.

Cross References

Judd J-1702, Pollock P-1904