I wish they had let Barber make this 1st design for the Barber Half Dollar J1766

jesbroken

This would be a most beautiful design and I would bet it would be one of the most collectible half dollars ever. It's his first design for the Half and is notated as J1766 Pattern. What would be your opinion of this design?
Jim

coinbuf

I like it! I say use it on todays coinage.

jesbroken

But then they would have to hire talented sculptors instead of their brother's grandchildren.
Jim

TurtleCat

I like it but I wonder if it would have struck up well given how many design elements it has.

FlyingAl

Personally, I think they made a good decision to not use that one. The eagle on the obverse doesn't look much like an eagle at all to me.

MFeld

The design is way too busy for my taste.

Floridafacelifter

I like the Original 1916 Quarter in the other thread way better

privatecoin

Love the reverse for sure.

NumisOxide

Not really a fan of the eagle design on the obverse.

Maywood

Though there are good design elements on this pattern it is too busy as is for my taste. Absent the obverse eagle, all the rays on both sides and with a smaller reverse wreath it would probably look better.

JBN

Busy, but nice.

crazyhounddog

Superb design. I like it too Jim👍

pursuitofliberty

Count me in the not so much of a fan, at least as a regular issue.

Far too busy with too many elements and nothing that pulls central focus (other than the small eagle on the reverse, but even that is hidden in the oversize wreath).

There are a lot of patterns I appreciate as patterns, where design elements are experimented with, and this one counts there ... but I think this would have made for a much less dramatic regular issue.

Catbert

Too busy, eagle is a dwarf, and the design in general indicative of someone trying too hard or being devoid of artistic skill.

TomB

I don't really care for it.

oih82w8

Could be a D. Carr project?

lilolme

When I saw it and before reading responses my thought was that they didn't leave any unused space on the reverse.

CaptHenway

Hard to guess if that huge wreath on the reverse would take up too much metal during the strike and thus prevent the obverse from striking up well.

Raybo

Not a Barber fan at all.

dogwood

Looks like every coin design idea ever, crammed onto one coin.

numisma

@jesbroken said:
This would be a most beautiful design and I would bet it would be one of the most collectible half dollars ever. It's his first design for the Half and is notated as J1766 Pattern. What would be your opinion of this design?
Jim

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Never have been a fan of this pattern in terms of aesthetics. I mean, Barber started by "borrowing" the base design elements of a currently circulating Swiss 2 francs, and then crams a whole bunch of random design elements throughout the design.

To make matters worse, he depicts a scene from a horror story on the obverse, where the giant condor is about to eat the allegorical symbol of Miss Liberty. Either that, or the condor just hatched Liberty in her nest. Regardless, it is an odd and eccentric depiction.

Presumably, Barber then attempts to balance the abnormally out of scale bird on the obverse by planting an anorexic chicken smack-dab in the center of the reverse. Everything on both sides is out of scale and balance. And by the way Chuck, sometimes it is just nice to have clean, open fields in the design.

Notice how the Switzerland 2F is more balanced and aesthetically pleasing compared to the J1766.

Designers of some of the statehood quarters are guilting of the same "how can I cram 10 pounds of design elements into a 5 pound coin" type of mentality. Remember that ridiculous Missouri quarter with L&C rowing down the river in a hollowed out baked potato, along shores that are lined with giant broccoli? Ugh.

That being said, I truly love the historical aspect of this and all official patterns.

davewesen

too much going on, the dies would not have lasted long enough

golden

Not a fan at all.

WinLoseWin

To me, it would look good if it was the pattern obverse - minus the eagle behind Liberty, just imagine it gone - combined with the regular design reverse.
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Smithsonian image and info here:

https://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/search/object/nmah_1100123

Reverse image from PCGS Photograde for MS-66:

https://pcgs.com/photograde#/Barber50/Grades

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gumby1234

I think minus the eagle and the rays on the obv paired with the regular issue Barber rev would have looked much better.

87redcivic

My first take was: "It looks like the seated liberty model stood up."

GRANDAM

Pass,,,,,,,

COCollector

@WinLoseWin said:
To me, it would look good if it was the pattern obverse - minus the eagle behind Liberty, just imagine it gone - combined with the regular design reverse...

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Agreed. And why is there a hat on the top-end of the staff (obverse)?

kaz

When Iook at the rev, I can't help seeing a chicken on a platter surrounded by lettuce. I like the obv design, minus the eagle.

ricko

Very busy design.... I prefer less for better focus. That being said, U.S. coin art is, in general, not attractive. Cheers, RickO

numisma

@kaz said:
When Iook at the rev, I can't help seeing a chicken on a platter surrounded by lettuce. .

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That is funny. I can see it too, now that you mention it. The chicken is even holding a sprig of rosemary in one claw, and some sage in the other. The clouds above the chicken represent garlic mashed potatoes.

Actually, is it a chicken, or a sparrow? Maybe a robin or wren?