1854 Half Cent Patterns

About This Coin

Struck at the Philadelphia Mint in the last decade of the half cent, the 1854 half cent pattern tested a new alloy for America's smallest denomination at a time when its commercial relevance was rapidly diminishing. The half cent had served since 1793, but by the mid-1850s inflation had eroded its purchasing power to where many merchants refused it and annual mintages had dwindled. The only pattern of the year, Judd-155, was struck from the regular half cent dies in oroide (USPatterns). The 1854 patterns sit at a monetary crossroads: the small-cent movement was gaining political momentum, and within three years Congress would abolish both the half cent and the large cent in favor of a smaller format.