
AT Helmeted Liberty commemorative art piece / exonumia
The Helmeted Liberty Half Dollar was a pattern half which in my opinion should have been issued as a circulation coin. This beautiful design was based upon J-1528 / P-1696 executed by William Barber. This original imagery was apparently inspired by a drawing prepared by Christian Gobrecht in the late 1830s per Pollock. It shows Liberty wearing a helmet adorned with an eagle, and is believed to be the inspiration behind the design by William Barber used on 1877 half dollars J1526-J1531/P1694-P1699.Many collectors and numismatists have never seen this design before, and when I first saw a real example, I was awestruck. This pattern in mint-state condition commands a staggering price. Most people I have spoken with at shows regarding this coin, wished to experience what an example would feel like in hand. With that being said, about a decade ago, I undertook the process to recreate this pattern, in exacting detail on the obverse only, for the exonumia community. The design was well received by numismatists and hobbyists alike, with a classic design that pays tribute to the original, as a bullion strike. A few years later, I decided to have some more fun, and have a personal example AT'ed to the image you see before you. Now before you scoff at AT, please know that I as much as anyone else frown on the application, but for modern bullion pieces, it's fair game if properly disclosed. The resulting application brought further to life our Centurion friend, with skin toned devices, deep blues around the helmet, and royal purple cameo reflective fields. In ancient Rome, purple was the color of royalty!For pattern collectors, what designs most stand out to you as being your favorite?