J-72 - 1838 Half Dollar Pattern - 1838 50C Pattern NGC PF64. This rare, near-Gem, proof 1838 Half Dollar Pattern has a prooflike appearance because of the light devices over much darker fields. The principal devices are rose-tinted silver and the fields are dark gray. These colors attest to the coins originality. Without magnification few hairlines are visible, and the fields are otherwise clean and free of distractions. The piece is well struck, as expected for a proof coin, with every detail of hair and feather clearly sculptured. In general, it is a lovely, eye-appealing piece.

Designed by Christian Gobrecht, the obverse shows Libertys luxuriant tresses falling to her shoulder. A ribbon in her hair is inscribed LIBERTY. There are seven six-pointed stars to the left and six to the right with the date below. Snowden, the Mint Director, incorrectly attributed this die to William Kneass. It was used in combination with several different reverse dies to make other patterns. 

The reverse shows a perched eagle holding an olive branch and four arrows. Its head is turned towards the right. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA is above and HALF DOLLAR is below. This reverse die was used with three other pattern coins. 

Gobrecht was the third Chief Engraver at the United States Mint. He was born in Hanover, Pennsylvania in 1785. His father was a German immigrant, and his mother traced her ancestry to the early settlers of Plymouth, Massachusetts. Gobrecht married Mary Hewes in 1818. One of his early positions was as an engraver of clocks in Baltimore. Later he went to Philadelphia where he became a banknote engraver. He invented a machine that allowed one to convert a three-dimensional medal into an illustration. This was an excellent job and Gobrecht was understandably reluctant to work for the Mint for less money than he was making at the engraving firm. In order to persuade him to leave, Mint Director Robert Patterson prevailed upon Chief Engraver William Kneass, who had had a stroke, to take less in salary so more money would be available to hire Gobrecht on a permanent basis.

In 1826 Gobrecht did his first work for the Mint as an assistant to Kneass. After Kneass stroke, Gobrecht did all the die and pattern work for the Mint. He became Chief Engraver in 1840 and served until his death in 1844. He was famous for his Liberty Seated motif, which was used for all denominations of silver coinage including the half-dime, dime, quarter dollar, half dollar and silver dollar. He also designed the Liberty Head gold eagle, a motif that was also used on the half-cent, the cent, the gold quarter eagle, and the gold half eagle. 

The 1838 half dollar pattern, J-72, has an R5 rarity rating. In its population report, NGC shows 5 in PF64 with 8 higher.