1854 Proof Cent Pattern - J-157

Coin Details

Auction Record

$7,475 PR64 08-11-2011 Heritage Auctions

Description

Judd-157, Pollock-185, rated High R.7. Among the most visually distinctive of all 1850s cent patterns, the J-157 was created by taking an 1854 Seated Liberty dollar obverse die and reducing it on a circular lathe to roughly the diameter of a contemporary half cent. This crude mechanical reduction left the design elements noticeably blurred, with the digit 4 in the date degraded to the point that it can be mistaken for a 1. Concentric lathe lines from the reduction process are visible on well-preserved specimens. The reverse carries a newly cut die featuring the denomination 1 CENT encircled by an oak and acorn wreath. The piece is struck in a German silver alloy composed of 61% copper, 27% nickel, and 11% zinc, with a reeded edge. This alloy formulation was one of several white-metal compositions the Mint tested during its extended search for an appropriate small cent material. The lathe-reduced dollar obverse approach, while crude, allowed the Mint to quickly produce working dies at the smaller diameter without the expense of commissioning entirely new obverse engravings.