1853 Cent Pattern - P-178

Coin Details

Description

Pollock-178. This experimental small cent was produced as part of the Mint's search for a practical replacement for the oversized copper large cent. The obverse borrows the Liberty Head design from the regular-issue quarter eagle ($2.50 gold piece), while the reverse carries a simple wreath enclosing the denomination ONE CENT. The piece is struck in German silver — a misleadingly named alloy containing no actual silver, but rather a blend of copper, nickel, and zinc that produces a silvery-white appearance. The edge is reeded. German silver was among several alloy candidates evaluated during this period, though copper-nickel was ultimately selected for the small cent introduced in 1857. More than a dozen specimens are recorded across two slightly different German silver compositions, making this variety scarce but not impossibly rare among 1853 cent patterns.