1865 Two Cent Patterns

About This Coin

From the final year of the Civil War Patterns (1860-1865), the 1865 Two Cent Patterns were produced at the Philadelphia Mint as the nation approached the end of its bloodiest conflict. The regular-issue two-cent piece, now in its second year, had proven enormously popular — not only alleviating the small-change shortage caused by wartime hoarding, but bearing the IN GOD WE TRUST motto that resonated deeply with a nation seeking divine guidance through unprecedented suffering. The obverse features the shield design with the motto banner that designer James Barton Longacre introduced the previous year, while the reverse displays a wreath enclosing 2 CENTS. A notable result of $22K in MS66+ grade at Heritage Auctions confirms strong market demand. The 1865 patterns represent continued refinement testing variations to improve upon the inaugural 1864 production. For collectors of Civil War numismatic material, these patterns capture the final war year — when Lee's surrender at Appomattox and Lincoln's assassination compressed triumph and tragedy into a single devastating spring — making them artifacts of the most emotionally charged period in American history.