FrostbyteCoins
Half Dime · $0.05
1859 Pattern & Experimental Coins
Key Features
- Judd-232, 90% silver / 10% copper, reeded edge, 15.9 mm, 1.24 g - Proof only - 1859 Seated Liberty obverse with stars + 1860-style wreath reverse; no UNITED STATES OF AMERICA on either side - Companion: 1860 transitional half dime, Judd-267 - Record: $70,500, PR65, Heritage, June 2014 (Gardner Collection)
Intriguing History
In 1859 the Mint paired a regular Seated Liberty half dime obverse with a new reverse made for 1860. The result, Judd-232, never says UNITED STATES OF AMERICA anywhere. Collectors call these "stateless" coins. At most fifteen are known, and the best sold for $70,500 in 2014. A second version dated 1860, Judd-267, was struck too. They were most likely made for collectors, not for circulation.