1836 Proof Two Cent Pattern - J-56a

Coin Details

Auction Record

$9,775 PR62 01-07-2004 Heritage Auctions

Description

Cataloged as Judd-56a (Pollock-58) and rated R.8, indicating extreme rarity with only two or three known examples, this white metal striking of the 1836 two-cent pattern is among the scarcest varieties in the series. The obverse displays the familiar spread-winged eagle standing on a cloud with the date below and UNITED STATES OF AMERICA around the border. The reverse shows TWO CENTS surrounded by a laurel wreath, struck with a reeded edge. The use of white metal, a tin-based alloy, is unusual among the 1836 two-cent patterns and has prompted debate about whether these pieces are original strikings or later restrikes. Unlike the copper restrikes, which characteristically display extensive obverse die cracking from a shattered die, the white metal specimens reportedly lack this diagnostic feature, leaving their production date undocumented. With its R.8 rarity rating, this variety stands as one of the most elusive entries in the entire 1836 two-cent pattern series, seldom encountered even in major pattern collections.