Good Buy? $2,200 1862 PF63 Seated Half Dollar

Judd means it is probably cataloged somewhere.

 

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I am not sure much about the JUDD reference, but yes it is a pattern coin. And Judd probably refers to the name of the guy who reference each one of them.
If you want a little to read.
https://www.pcgs.com/coinfacts/category/patterns/15

 

Judd is the catalog of Pattern coins. So a Judd number is a classifcation of what pattern is what (in the early days the US Mint made alot of these)

So it like a VAM a number that ID a paticlaur cataloged proof
https://www.ngccoin.com/coin-explorer/patterns-and-trial-coins-1792-1863-pscid-81

https://uspatterns.stores.yahoo.net/ju10ed.html

 

Thinking... Buy the book before the coin.

Patterns are very specialized series.
If you want a proof 1860-1869 half dollar, get the regular (Business) strike, They are out there and can be found.
United States Pattern, Experimental and Trial pieces by Dr J.H.Judd Is a nice reference to this world of collecting patterns.
As for a proof half dollar of the 1860's the Red Book is fine but there are better books on that subject as well.

 

“Judd” is a reference book on United States pattern (experimental) coins that was first published in the late 1950s. Somewhat like the Red Book, there were something like eight or nine editions of it that were published through the years. The author was Hewitt Judd. It has since been replaced and updated by other references. I think that Whitman is now publishing the most recent one.

If you want to go back in history, the first definitive reference on pattern coins was by Adams and Woodin. William Woodin was Franklin Roosevelt’s first choice for Secretary of the Treasury.

This was all off the top of my head, so please correct or clarify what I wrote here. I have the reference books, but I don’t collect patterns.

 

I agree, mint state business strikes are far scarcer. Also I don't care for the toning in the OP post - it suggest the dreaded AT or at least a bit of environmental damage.

Proofs for a many mid 19th to late 19th century coins are actually far more common as they were purchased at a premium and saved. A few people saved business strike coins in mint state but not nearly as much.

 

Sometimes the Proofs can sell for LESS than the regular business strikes though, right ? Esp. when very few of the regulars survive in Mint State quality (most proofs do).

 

I think you can do a lot better for the money.

 

Proof half dollars from this period can be found for a lot less. This one from Great Collections cost me a little under $750.

 

Why does Great Collections have to put that sticker obscuring the TPG name ?

 

Happy New Year. I enlarged your pictures and for the money I would pass on this copper pattern. Not having the coin in hand, I surmise this coin has the appearance of environmental damage toning. I would recommend buy the book, United States Pattern Coins, J. Hewitt Judd, M.D., edited by Q. David Bowers. Like others have posted, this is a specialized market and few buyers especially for a coin that appears to have unattractive toning. I've seen better for less and better for slightly more. The silver pattern is more popular. There are many good coin dealers who sell on eBay and you can type in an eBay search "Pattern Coins" and can find many in circulated to MS grades and from many countries including the US. Do research before you buy a pattern coin. The collectors and dealers on Coin Talk will steer you into an educated direction. Enjoy coin collecting, it's a great hobby.

 

Where would you want it placed? Covering the coin?

 

No, but why do they even need to sticker it ?

And if they do, a tinier one perhaps ?

 

They peel off very easily.

 

Whatever floats your boat... but personally if I decided to spend $2K on a U.S. coin I would pick something else. (Even if I had to continue the search)
Ultimately, it's your call.
J.T.

 

^^^ This in a nutshell.

 

Judd stands for Dr. J. Hewitt Judd. He cataloged and published a book on US pattern coins in the 1950's. The term Judd or J with a number after it refers to the numbers Dr. Judd used in his book. Those numbers are now being used to describe pattern coin produced by the US mint. You could see a post like J-424 or Judd-423 indicating how the coin was cataloged by Dr. Judd. A similar thing was done by Gerry Fortin when referring to Seated Dimes. If you see F 101 for a seated dime that means Gerry Fortin gave that number for a particular die set used to produce seated dimes. The same has been done for large cents. Also with other coins. It's a method of cataloging. I attached two pictures showing Judd numbers being used.

 

I can agree. Like others have mentioned, I'm not crazy about the toning. But that said, I like the rarity. It's not "modern". It's not a conditional rarity. It's a genuinely scarce piece of numismatic history.
If that thrills you, only you can decide if the dollars spent are worth what ownership, or should I say stewardship, of this piece means to you.