1851 Proof Cent Pattern - J-131a, Restrike

Coin Details

Auction Record

$8,400 PR67 09-17-2020 Heritage Auctions

Description

Judd-131A (Pollock-156, High R.7) is a nickel restrike of the undated ring cent pattern, struck with a reeded edge. It shares the same straightforward design as Judd-131: the legends CENT and ONE TENTH SILVER on the obverse, with UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and a small wreath on the reverse. The distinction between J-131 (copper-nickel) and J-131A (nickel) can be subtle, as both alloys produce a similar silvery appearance. The pure nickel composition of J-131A would have given the coin a somewhat harder, whiter surface compared to the slightly warmer tone of copper-nickel. Both varieties represent the tail end of the ring cent experiment, produced as restrikes without the central perforation that characterized the original annular concept. Fewer than a half dozen examples are known, placing this among the scarcer entries in a series that is uniformly rare. The nickel composition foreshadowed the Mint's eventual adoption of that metal for small-denomination coinage, though it would take another decade before nickel found its permanent place in American coinage with the three-cent piece of 1865 and the five-cent piece of 1866.