1858 Proof Cent Pattern - J-215

Coin Details

Description

Cataloged as Judd-215, this pattern cent pairs the dateless Indian Head obverse with one of the experimental reverse designs. Like J-214, the obverse carries the Indian Head portrait without a date, with UNITED STATES to the left and OF AMERICA to the right. The reverse differs from J-214, presenting a different wreath configuration. Struck in copper with a plain edge, J-215 is a composition variant within the dateless Indian Head subset. Where J-214 was struck in copper-nickel (the alloy ultimately adopted for the Indian Head cent), this copper striking allowed the Mint to compare how the design rendered in different metals. Copper strikings of 1858 cent patterns tend to be somewhat scarcer than their copper-nickel counterparts, as the white metal alloy was the primary focus of the Mint's experimentation for the new small cent.