1879 $4 COILED HAIR GILT J-1639 PR63 NGC CAC

The 1879 $4 Coiled Hair Stella, Judd-1639, gilt Proof, stands as one of the most refined products of late-19th-century U.S. Mint experimentation, combining artistic ambition with extraordinary technical execution. Conceived within the Stella series, this issue features the George T. Morgan “Coiled Hair” design—an elegant, left-facing Liberty whose tightly braided and coiled hair, balanced facial proportions, and calm expression offer a deliberate classical counterpoint to the contemporary work of Charles E. Barber. Struck in copper and finished with a rich gilt coating to emulate gold, this example displays a cohesive golden-bronze base accented by warm orange-gold and amber highlights across the highest reliefs. Under angled light, the proof surfaces transition from soft satin to semi-gloss, producing smooth, circular light diffusion rather than harsh reflectivity, with mirrorlike fields set against delicately textured reliefs. Historically, the Coiled Hair Stella is among the most elusive of all U.S. patterns, with approximately a dozen gilt copper examples believed extant, and about the same number in gold. With no recorded sales in PR63 and a single PR64 CAC example realizing $129,250 in August 2017, and an NGC population of just two graded with one finer, this specimen represents a pinnacle offering—an object where harmonious color, precision strike, and sculptural finesse converge, elevating the 1879 Coiled Hair Stella to the highest echelon of American numismatic art.

NGC Cert Verification #674316-002/63/

• PCGS Price Guide - N/A
• PCGS POP - N/A
• NGC POP - 2/1
• PCGS Coin# -92017