1854 Proof Cent Pattern - J-163, Original

Coin Details

Auction Record

$6,900 PR65BN 07-17-2022 Heritage Auctions

Description

Judd-163, Pollock-189, rated High R.6. This large cent-sized pattern introduces the flying eagle motif that would become one of the most celebrated designs in American coinage. The obverse features the "hook-neck" eagle in flight, so called for the pronounced downward curve of the bird's neck, surrounded by thirteen stars with the date 1854 below. This eagle bears a strong resemblance to the design used on the experimental 1838 half dollar patterns (Gobrecht's adaptation of the Titian Peale eagle). The reverse follows the general layout of the contemporary large cent, with ONE CENT inside a wreath and UNITED STATES OF AMERICA around the border, though both the wreath and denomination lettering are noticeably undersized relative to the diameter of the coin. Struck in copper with a plain edge, this original striking predates the more famous 1856 Flying Eagle cent patterns by two years and represents an important early step in the design's evolution. Quite rare, with only a handful of original strikings confirmed.