1855 Cent Pattern - J-168, Original

Coin Details

Description

Judd-168 Original is the first-generation striking of this 1855 Flying Eagle cent pattern, distinguished from later restrikes by die state, surface quality, and provenance. The obverse features the Flying Eagle in a more refined posture than the earlier hook-neck varieties (J-163 through J-167), with a smoother transition from head to body that gives the eagle a more graceful appearance. Thirteen stars encircle the device, and the date 1855 appears below with its characteristic slanting 5 digits. The reverse places ONE CENT centrally within a wreath, following the design concept that would be carried forward to the adopted 1857 Flying Eagle cent. The agricultural wreath on the reverse was a deliberate choice that evoked national prosperity and the agrarian values central to mid-nineteenth-century American identity. Original strikings of the 1855 cent patterns are numismatically significant because they represent the actual pieces produced during the Mint's experimental program, as opposed to restrikes made later to satisfy collector demand. The distinction matters because originals more accurately reflect the die state and production quality that Mint officials and congressmen would have evaluated when deciding whether to authorize the new denomination. These original 1855 patterns, along with their 1854 predecessors, were instrumental in building congressional support for the Coinage Act of February 21, 1857, which replaced the large copper cent with the small copper-nickel Flying Eagle cent and simultaneously demonetized foreign silver coins that had circulated alongside American issues since the Republic's founding.

Rarity Notes

R.4 to R.5. Approximately 40-60 specimens known. More available than many pattern issues due to deliberate distribution to officials.

Cross References

Judd-168; Original striking; cf. J-167 (hook-neck variety)