1859 50C J-236, BN (Proof)

Judd 236 is a copper pattern for an 1859 Half Dollar. Both the obverse and reverse were designed by Anthony Paquet, who is better-known for the 1860 and 1861 regular-issue Double Eagle reverses that were named after him. The obverse shows a seated figure of Liberty facing left, her right hand holding a fasces and her right steadying a shield. What strikes the viewer of this version of Liberty is her oversized head, which could be a reason that this design was never adopted.

Judd 236 is relatively common as far as patterns go. PCGS alone has certified over three dozen of them, which helps keep them affordable in the scheme of things. The typical Judd 236 is PR64, usually Brown, and sometimes afflicted with carbon spots. Red & Brownb examples are much more rare and, thus far, no full Red example has survived.