1850 Proof Cent Pattern - J-124c

Coin Details

Auction Record

$7,200 PR66+ 01-24-2021 Heritage Auctions

Description

Judd-124C, Pollock-141, R.8. This extremely rare cent pattern features a slightly different design from its Judd-124 siblings: the obverse displays CENT above and 1850 below, framed by two rosettes, while the reverse emphatically states ONE CENT within a wreath -- leaving no doubt about the intended denomination. This is one of the unperforated versions among the five known variants of this basic design produced in 1850. Struck in nickel with a plain edge. The use of pure nickel is particularly noteworthy among the 1850 cent pattern experiments. While most varieties in this series were struck in billon, copper, or copper-nickel alloys, the nickel composition of Judd-124C represents a more ambitious metallurgical experiment. Nickel's hardness and distinctive silvery color would have made it easily distinguishable from copper coinage, though the metal proved challenging to strike and would not see widespread use in American coinage until the three-cent nickel of 1865 and the Shield nickel of 1866. With a rarity rating of R.8, indicating just two or three known survivors, this nickel striking is among the scarcest of all the 1850 cent pattern variants.