Patterns (1860)

A number of interesting patterns were produced in 1860, perhaps the most featured today being the J-267 transitional half dime; these pieces were made with frosty, lustrous surfaces (Mint State), not Proof, and were not sharply detailed. These pieces are “stateless” and the obverse depicts a distinctive 1860 die with stars (the old style of 1859, rather than the new style of 1860 with UNITED STATES OF AMERICA), with the regular reverse of 1860 reading HALF DIME within a cereal wreath. As there was no particular reason to strike these for pattern purposes, they can be considered numismatic delicacies. As is true for more than 1,000 other varieties of patterns made during the era 1859 to 1885, today we can all be grateful that they were made, as they are popular and interesting to collect.