1855 Proof Cent Pattern - J-168, Original

Coin Details

Auction Record

$8,625 PR66 01-01-2009 Heritage Auctions

Description

Judd-168, Pollock-193, rated R.4. This pattern marks a significant refinement in the flying eagle design that would culminate in the adopted 1857 cent. The obverse features thirteen stars surrounding an eagle in graceful upward flight — closely following the Christian Gobrecht and Titian Peale design first realized on the 1836-1839 Gobrecht dollars and soon to appear on the regular-issue Flying Eagle cent. Unlike the hook-neck eagle of the J-163 through J-167 patterns, this eagle exhibits a more naturalistic posture. The reverse draws from the established large cent design with ONE CENT inside a wreath and the national legend around the border. Critically, the diameter falls between that of the large cents still being struck for commerce in 1855 and the small cents that would begin production in 1856, representing an intermediate step in the size reduction process. Struck in bronze with a plain edge. The R.4 rating makes this one of the most accessible patterns in the 1855 cent series, and its role as a direct precursor to the adopted Flying Eagle cent design gives it particular historical significance.