# James Barton Longacre artist context and auction value notes

Canonical page: https://appraisily.com/artist/james-barton-longacre/
Profile generated: 2026-08-24T13:54:12.362Z
Quality: medium confidence, adequate sources

## Artist identity

- Nationality: American
- Common media: Engraving, Printmaking, Painting, Watercolor, Coin design

## Portrait

![James Barton Longacre](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/11/Longacre_self_portrait_1845.jpg)
James B. Longacre · Public domain
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Longacre_self_portrait_1845.jpg

## About James Barton 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.

## 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.

## Appraisily data basis

Appraisily artist pages combine public artist-identity research with indexed auction records and, when available, auction-house context, sale dates, realized prices, lot descriptions, and comparable works. Each object still requires independent examination of attribution, medium, date, condition, and provenance.

## Sources

- VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/5329981/
- Wikidata: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3806459
- Getty Vocabulary Program: https://vocab.getty.edu/page/ulan/500011409
- National Gallery of Art: https://www.nga.gov/collection/artist-info.47374.html
- British Museum: https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/term/BIOG36141
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_B._Longacre
- Appraisily: https://appraisily.com/artist/james-barton-longacre/