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4 Dollars '1880 Stella' Pattern, copper
| Issuer | United States Mint |
|---|---|
| Year | 1880 |
| Type | Coin pattern |
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|---|---|
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| Reverse script | Latin |
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| Mintage | 1880 |
| Additional information |
The Stella was never intended for circulation. Congressman John A. Kasson proposed the $4 denomination in 1879 as a potential international trade coin — one that would align with European gold coinage standards, particularly the 20-franc piece — and the project consumed the energies of both Charles Barber and George Morgan, who submitted competing designs. Congress ultimately killed it. The copper examples, struck as part of the 1880 pattern run, were made almost exclusively for sale to collectors and, notoriously, to congressmen who reportedly passed them along to their mistresses as jewelry.
Judd-1658 identifies this as a restrике of the Flowing Hair type in copper, produced well after the original 1879 presentation pieces.