1877 50C J-1512, DCAM (Proof)

Judd 1512 is one of the most impressive works by George T. Morgan, who is best known for his eponymous Dollars of 1878 to 1921. This coin was part of a series of Half Dollar patterns issued in 1877 which combined several of Morgan's obverse and reverse designs in a variety of different pairings. The obverse of Judd 1512 presents a small head of Liberty surrounded by a bold E PLURIBUS UNUM, and the date below. The reverse features a defiant eagle facing left, standing on a pedestal incised with the motto IN GOD WE TRUST. Similar eagles can be seen on the reverse of the 1879 "Schoolgirl" Pattern Dollar, the 1915-S Panama-Pacific $2.50, the 1918 Lincoln-Illinois Centennial Half Dollar, and (in a softer stance) on the Walking Liberty Half Dollar. On Judd 1512, the lowest arrow is bent sharply in the form of a lightning bolt. Of the approximately six examples known, Simpson's PCGS PR67DCAM is the finest.