1859 Longacre and Paquet Half Dollar Patterns

Obverse: Anthony Paquet's design offers a seated Liberty facing left. She supports a fasces with her right hand and balances a shield in her left. There are thirteen stars around the perimeter and the date at the base.

Reverse: Features Paquet’s large standing eagle with wings extended and a shield on its breast. Olive branch and lengthy arrows in the claws and holding a ribbon in its beak with E PLURIBUS UNUM inscribed. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA is above and the denomination HALF DOLLAR is below

Comment:
This is Pollock variant know as a “Broken Ribbon" reverse. The ribbon looks as it is in 2 two pieces at the right end. The “Broken Ribbon” effect was possibly due to either insufficient pressure of the hub die into the working die, thus not bringing out certain features of the ribbon into proper relief or it could have been from resurfacing of the die once it was prepared.
In addition to the “Broken Ribbon” there were other variations as the Eagle left wing tip is rounded and the “RED” vertical strips in the shield have three lines each and the “white” strips in the shield are narrow. The eagle has six tail feathers.

A well struck specimen with moderate cameo contrast and pleasing peripheral peach-gold, ruby-red, and blue-green toning. The obverse is moderately hairlined.

Provenance:
Heritage 2013 August 8 - 10 US Coin Auction - Rosemont / Lot #4875

Obverse: Longacre's "French Head" Liberty faces right with a oaks and vine wreath in her hair. A ribbon below the bust is inscribed LIBERTY, with UNITED STATES OF AMERICA around, and the date below.
Reverse: Features the regular Seated half dollar reverse die with a spread wing eagle clutching 3 arrows in its talon - type II with the letters LF in HALF spaced apart at the top ( vs the type I where that nearly touch).

Comments:
About a half dozen patterns of this die combination are known in total for both the silver (J243) and copper. USPatterns.com notes that one of the copper examples "is struck from a planchet which had an incused head of Washington on it." This is that famous and well-pedigreed example.
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Norman Stack noted the feature as early as 1954, writing in the Anderson-Dupont catalog:

"Listed as A.W. 302. This differs, however, in having at center of reverse an impression from a bust of Washington like that on the nickels of 1866. We do not know how this was superimposed on the regular design. Should be seen by every collector of Washington items. Possibly Unique.“

Dave Bowers examination of this piece states "under magnification reveals two incised circles that surround the sunken portrait, intended for inscription to be added, at the center of which a deep impression was punched of the portrait of Washington. The diameter of the circles indicate that the impression was indeed intended for the five Cent piece (being too small for the Two-cent piece). Most probably, had this trial been carried to completion, letters would have been added and an impression taken in was to see what the finished results would be. As it turned out, all that was done was to scribe two lines and to affix the punch. The disc was then kept on hand, and probably inadvertently used to produce the present coin, circa 1865-1866. The obverse of the present coin, when examined under reflective light, shows a somewhat irregular outline in the field and may indicate an additional use of the other side of the planchet for some pattern or experimental purpose, which cannot be determined to day"

Both sides are largely copper-orange with mellowed violet patina in the fields. A handful of small ticks and planchet flakes are noted. Otherwise clean.

Obverse: James Barton Longacre's "French Head of Liberty" design. A bust of Liberty faces right with a wreath of oak and vine leaves on her head, a ribbon or scroll inscribed LIBERTY crossing her right shoulder. The legend UNITED STATES OF AMERICA is around the border and the date 1859 is below.

Reverse: An standing eagle with outstretched wings and a shield on its breast clutches an olive sprig in its right talon and three long, slender arrows in its left talon. The eagle holds a scroll inscribed with the Latin motto E PLURIBUS UNUM in its beak, the scroll is broken as opposed to the perfect ribbon, and the eagle's left wing tip rounded as opposed to pointed. The legend UNITED STATES OF AMERICA is around the border and the denomination HALF DOLLAR is below.

Comments:
Brilliant apart from iridescent golden-copper toning along the right obverse and left reverse borders, this lovely Choice Proof example reveals strong reflectivity in the fields as the surfaces dip into a light.


Broken ribbon variants of this type are thought to be restrikes, although the present example was struck from a far earlier reverse die state than the USatterns.com plate coin, which shows evidence of extensive die rust around the periphery

Provenance/Appearances:
From the E. Horatio Morgan Collection. Stacks Aug 2019 ANA Rosemont, IL / Lot#3317, Earlier from Bowers and Merena's Ebenezer Milton Saunders Collection sale, November 1987, lot 457