1858 Proof Cent Pattern - J-214

Coin Details

Auction Record

$8,250 CH PR 10-14-1997 Stack's

Description

Cataloged as Judd-214, this pattern cent features the Indian Head obverse without a date, paired with the laurel wreath reverse. The obverse presents the Indian Head portrait that would be adopted for circulation in 1859, with UNITED STATES appearing to the left and OF AMERICA to the right, but with no date in the field. The reverse shows a laurel wreath encircling ONE CENT. Struck in copper-nickel with a plain edge, J-214 belongs to the dateless Indian Head subset of the 1858 pattern series. Obverse 7, the dateless Indian Head die, was used on Judd-214 through J-216, each paired with a different reverse. These dateless pieces suggest the Mint experimented with placing the date on the reverse or omitting it altogether. The portrait variety on these 1858 patterns typically features the rounded bust point characteristic of pattern-only strikes, as opposed to the narrower bust adopted for regular production beginning in 1859.