1885 Pattern Liberty Head Eagle. Judd-1755, Pollock-1968. Rarity-8. Aluminum. Reeded Edge. Proof-66 Cameo (PCGS). The Farouk Specimen. Finer of Only Two Known.

The obverse and reverse designs are the same that the Mint used to strike regular issue 1885 Liberty Head eagles. Virtually brilliant on the obverse, the reverse is dusted with delicate silvery iridescence. Both sides are fully struck and deliver a lovely cameo finish that contrasts reflective fields with frosty motifs. Virtually pristine, a very shallow planchet depression in the right obverse field is as made and serves as a useful provenance marker. As reported on the uspatterns.com website, and contrary to traditional numismatic wisdom that described them as regular dies trial strikes, these special coins were deliberately struck by Mint personnel for sale to contemporary collectors as part of off-metal Proof Sets. Only two specimens of the 1885 eagle in aluminum have survived, the offered coin, and the Simpson specimen in PCGS Proof-65 Cameo. The fact that the regular issue Proof 1885 eagle in gold (just 65 struck) is a major rarity in its own right further enhances the significance of this aluminum off-metal striking. It is ideally suited for inclusion in an advanced Liberty Head eagle set or specialized collection of pattern and related coinage, in which it is destined to serve as a leading highlight. Provenance: Ex King Farouk of Egypt; Sotheby's sale of the Palace Collections of Egypt (Farouk), February 1954, lot 2014; 1966 ANA; our (Bowers and Merena's) King of Siam Sale, October 1987, lot 2259; Superior's session of Auction '88, August 1988, lot 293; Heritage's Long Beach Signature Sale of June 2002, lot 7178; Heritage's November 2003 Signature Sale, lot 11247; Heritage's FUN Signature Sale of January 2004, lot 2264; Heritage's sale of the Joseph C. Thomas Collection, April 2009 CSNS Signature Auction, lot 2819; Heritage's sale of the McCoy Family Collection of U.S. Patterns, January 2011 FUN Signature Auction, lot 5394; Ira & Larry Goldberg's Pre-Long Beach Auction of January 2014, lot 1657; Ira & Larry Goldberg's Pre-Long Beach Auction of June 2020, lot 666; Ira & Larry Goldberg's Pre-Long Beach Auction of June 2021, lot 1195; GreatCollections, October 23, 2022; GreatCollections, December 23, 2023.