US Patterns- WHAT U.S. COINAGE COULD HAVE BEEN
J-245 Silver 50C - French Liberty Head (Eagle reverse)

Owner Comments:

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