J-245 50c - 1859 Half Dollar Pattern - NGC PF63 CAC. R6+. This rare, lustrous, toned proof 1859 Half Dollar Pattern comes with the provenance of the Exemplar Collection. This 1859 Half Dollar Pattern is well struck on the obverse with full details on Libertys ear and hair as well as the legend and date. The surfaces, which are a mixture of light gold and pewter color on both sides, are original and clean for the grade with no notable contact marks. There is significant planchet roughness on the upper and lower reverse which resulted from the use of a rusted die. In addition, the obverse is double struck, which is a very rare error for a pattern coin. There are two varieties of the pattern; this is the broken ribbon variety.

The coin was double struck while in the collar. Between strikes there was slight movement of the coin or the die, which is why the design is closely overlapped. The second strike obliterated most of the first, but it left enough for us to see elements of the underlying first strike.

The obverse was designed by James B. Longacre. It shows his French Liberty Head. Liberty faces right in profile wearing a wreath of oak leaves and vines. A LIBERTY inscribed ribbon is draped across her shoulder. The legend UNITED STATES OF AMERICA is at the periphery with the date below. The reverse, designed by Anthony Paquet, shows a perched eagle with a ribbon across the shield that continues to the eagles beak. The ribbon is inscribed E PLURIBUS UNUM. The eagles head faces left. In its talons are an olive branch and three arrows. The legend in large letters is UNITED STATES OF AMERICA with HALF DOLLAR below.

Longacres double eagle design was a new concept that endured well past the turn of the century. When Longacre first came to work at the Mint, he was opposed by Franklin Peale, the Chief Coiner. Peale was probably responsible for some blundered dies that Longacre was criticized for making. Peal was involved in a private, illegal medal manufacturing business using Mint facilities. He was concerned that this new political appointee would interfere with his business, and he resisted Longacres appointment as Chief Engraver. In the end Peale was found out and fired in 1854. Longacre flourished in his position and was responsible for creating many new designs including the Indian Head cent, the two-cent piece, the Shield nickel, the Liberty Head gold dollar, the Indian Princess gold dollar, the three-dollar gold piece, and the Liberty Head double eagle.

Assistant Engraver Anthony C. Paquet was born in 1814 in Hamburg, Germany. He emigrated in 1848. He began working at the Mint in 1857 and remained there as an employee until 1864. He did additional contract work after his regular employment. He died in 1882. Paquet is most famous for his double eagles of 1861 that were named for him. In his book The U.S. Mint and Coinage, Donald Taxay say of him, Paquet possessed a very modest talent, and his dies, with but one brief exception, were never adopted on the coinage. A peculiar ugliness in portraiture, stiffness in anatomy, and tall, thin lettering distinguish the work of this artist.

The 1859 Half Dollar Pattern, J-245, has an R6+ rarity rating, which means that 13 to 20 pieces are known. In its population report, NGC shows 1 in PF63 with 3 better. At PCGS there is 1 in PR63 with 4 better, and these numbers do not account for crossovers or resubmissions.