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1 Stella / 4 Dollars '1879 Stella' Pattern, aluminium
| Issuer | United States Mint |
|---|---|
| Year | 1879 |
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| Value | Log in to see details |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 6.0 g |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Reverse description | A large five-pointed star dominates the central field, rendered with a beaded inner border and containing the denomination inscription ONE STELLA 400 CENTS arranged within its interior. Flanking the star along the left border are the words DEO EST and to the right GLORIA, together forming the motto DEO EST GLORIA. The outer legend reads UNITED STATES OF AMERICA along the upper arc and E PLURIBUS UNUM across the inner arc, while FOUR DOL. appears prominently along the lower border. The overall composition, engraved by Charles E. Barber, presents a bold and symmetrical design reflecting the Stella's intended role as a potential international trade coinage. |
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| Additional information |
The Stella was a congressional experiment — specifically, Senator John Percival Jones of Nevada championing a coin that could circulate interchangeably across European metric monetary systems without conversion. Charles Barber and George Morgan each submitted competing designs in 1879, and both were struck in multiple metals as patterns for evaluation. Congress never acted on it.
The aluminium striking is among the rarest of all Stella variants. Most were produced in gold for distribution to congressmen — a practice that drew considerable contemporary criticism given how many ended up in the possession of Washington socialites rather than on any legislator's desk.