1867 Five-Cent Pattern – Liberty in an Unissued Design

Some of the most intriguing American coin designs never became everyday money. Intaglio Mint’s Judd 561 tribute brings one of those alternatives into a 2 troy ounce .999 fine silver format. Liberty’s feathered headdress and the ornate shield reverse give this 39mm round a character quite different from the regular Shield nickel of its era.

Longacre’s Experimental Portrait

The original 1867 pattern is associated with James B. Longacre, whose name appeared beneath the portrait on the historic design. Liberty faces left with feathers, stars and a ribbon bearing the words “UNION AND LIBERTY.” The composition is an allegorical image of Liberty, rather than a portrait identifying a particular Indigenous person.

Judd 561 was struck in aluminum, one of the materials explored in pattern coinage. Its exact original production is uncertain: historical notes cited by the Harry W. Bass Jr. Foundation give differing figures. The appeal here is the design itself and its place among the Mint’s experiments, reinterpreted in modern fine silver rather than reproduced as an original pattern.

Obverse Design

A left-facing bust of Liberty wears a feathered headdress accented by stars and a ribbon. “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA” surrounds the upper portion, with the date below. The ribbon’s union-and-liberty theme gives the portrait an additional layer of national symbolism.

Reverse Design

A large Roman numeral V, recalling the proposed five-cent denomination, is centered on an ornate shield with decorative scrollwork. “IN GOD WE TRUST” arches above it, and the modern silver hallmark appears below. The V belongs to the tribute’s historical imagery; this round contains two troy ounces of silver.

Specifications

• Weight: 2 troy ounces
• Purity: .999 fine silver
• Diameter: 39mm
• Thickness: approximately 6mm
• Edge: Reeded
• Finish: Brilliant Uncirculated

Explore more designs in our silver round collection.