James Barton Longacre Auction Prices and Value Guide
James Barton Longacre auction prices are tracked in Appraisily's artist market index, with source-directory coverage of 456 records. Use this page to review sold-lot activity, market context, and valuation factors before requesting a formal appraisal.
James Barton Longacre auction prices: quick answer
James Barton Longacre auction prices depend on medium, size, date, condition, provenance, edition details, attribution confidence, and recent comparable auction sales.
- Artist
- James Barton Longacre
- Source records
- 456
- Market update
- 2026-02-06
James Barton Longacre market snapshot
James Barton Longacre shows thin auction liquidity with 3 tracked lots. Median realized sale is around $30. Category concentration is still broad or sparse. Last 12 months recorded 0 sales. Latest recorded sale: 2020-03-14.
Realized price distribution
- Under $1,000 (100.0% · 3 sales)
- $1,000 to $10,000 (0.0% · 0 sales)
- $10,000+ (0.0% · 0 sales)
- Median sale (last 12 months)
- $0
- Sales recorded (last 12 months)
- 0
- Median shift vs prior year
- 0.0%
- Latest recorded sale
- 2020-03-14
Artist context
About James Barton Longacre
Born
1794
Died
1869
Nationality
American
Also known as
James B. Longacre, J. B. Longacre
James Barton Longacre (1794–1869) was an American engraver, printmaker, painter, portraitist, and coin designer whose career connected nineteenth-century portrait art with federal numismatic design. Library and art-authority records identify him as both a printmaker and painter. He became the fourth Chief Engraver of the United States Mint in 1844 and remained in that position until his death. Longacre is especially associated with the Indian Head cent, Flying Eagle cent, and Shield nickel, designs that made his work familiar far beyond conventional art collections. Collectors may also encounter engraved portraits, works on paper, paintings, and objects or reproductions derived from his coin imagery. This range matters for identification: an original portrait or engraving, a Mint-related design, and a later object carrying a Longacre-associated image belong to different collecting contexts. His documented institutional identities at Getty ULAN, VIAF, the National Gallery of Art, and the British Museum help distinguish him from similarly named creators.
EngravingPrintmakingPaintingWatercolorPortraitureUnited States coin imagery
Common works and media
Auction and appraisal contexts may include engraved or printed portraits, paintings and other portrait works, watercolors, and numismatic objects bearing Longacre-associated designs. His best-documented coin designs include the Indian Head cent, Flying Eagle cent, and Shield nickel. A self-portrait watercolor also documents his use of that medium. Because later impressions, reproductions, and production coins differ from unique or original works, the object's physical medium and relationship to Longacre should be established before selecting comparables.
Market and appraisal context
Longacre's market spans categories that should be evaluated separately. Original engravings, portraits, paintings, watercolors, preparatory material, circulating coins, and later reproductions are not interchangeable comparables. Appraisal should first establish the object's medium, date, authorship, and relationship to a documented Longacre design. For works on paper, condition, inscriptions, sitter identification, provenance, and the nature of the impression can affect comparison. Numismatic objects require attention to the specific coin type, date, condition, and other coin-market characteristics. Public auction records are most useful when the lot type, attribution, dimensions, condition, and sale date closely match the object being assessed. The collected sources do not support a general price trend or guaranteed value conclusion.
Auction categories and appraisal factors
Common auction categories
- Engravings and prints
- Portrait works and paintings
- Coins and numismatic objects bearing Longacre designs
Value drivers
- Work type and medium, including whether the object is an original engraving, painting, watercolor, or a coin bearing one of Longacre's designs
- Attribution and the distinction between an original work by Longacre, a production object carrying his design, and a later reproduction
- Subject, identified sitter, date, condition, inscriptions, provenance, and historical relevance when comparing portrait or engraved works
- For numismatic material, the specific coin type and date must be considered alongside condition and comparable public auction lots
- Comparable sale dates, realized prices, lot descriptions, and closely matched public auction records when available
Appraisal caveats
- The collected source pack contains no major auction-house biography or lot-level market analysis, so it does not support price trends, auction records, or scarcity claims.
- An original drawing, painting, or engraving should not be compared directly with a circulating coin or later reproduction merely because both carry imagery associated with Longacre.
- The supplied auction count is an Appraisily input signal, not evidence that every indexed lot is correctly attributed or directly comparable.
Evidence
Sources for artist context
This source-grounded artist context is based on collected public records: medium confidence, adequate source quality.
- VIAF library authority
- Wikidata library authority
- Getty Vocabulary Program library authority
- National Gallery of Art museum or university
- British Museum museum or university
- Wikipedia wikipedia
Data basis
This page is built from Appraisily's public auction market index. Private transactions, incomplete sale feeds, and attribution changes may not be fully represented.
Artist value FAQ
How much is James Barton Longacre worth?
Comparable public auction sales are the best starting point, but final value depends on the specific artwork, condition, size, medium, provenance, and attribution confidence.
Can Appraisily value my James Barton Longacre artwork?
Yes. Appraisily can review photos, dimensions, signatures, condition, provenance, and comparable market data to prepare a current valuation.