1851 Proof Cent Pattern - J-127

Coin Details

Auction Record

$5,520 PR65+ 01-24-2021 Heritage Auctions

Description

This proof striking of the Judd-127 ring cent (Pollock-149, Low R.6) shares the same design and dies as the original business-strike version but is struck in billon (a copper-silver alloy containing one-tenth silver) on a perforated annular planchet with a plain edge and medallic alignment. The obverse inscription reads CENT above and ONE TENTH SILVER below the central opening, indicating the metallic content. The reverse features an open wreath framed by the national legend UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. These ring cents represent one of the more innovative approaches to solving the "big cent problem" of the 1840s and 1850s. The existing large copper cents were heavy, awkward, and expensive to produce relative to their face value. The Vinton bill of 1849 proposed reducing the cent's size, and the Mint explored several solutions, including this annular format. While the ring design elegantly solved the problem of distinguishing the smaller cent from a dime, the practical difficulties of striking coins with a central perforation ultimately doomed the concept. The proof striking demonstrates that the Mint took the proposal seriously enough to produce presentation-quality specimens, for Congressional review.