1881 Proof Cent Pattern - J-1665

Coin Details

Auction Record

PR64 Cameo NGC realized $4,888 at Heritage Auctions, January 2009 FUN sale.

Description

Nickel cent pattern from 1881, struck in copper-nickel alloy as an alternative composition to the copper J-1664. The obverse carries the same Liberty Head portrait designed by Charles Barber, facing left with a coronet inscribed LIBERTY, thirteen stars around the border, and the date 1881 below. The reverse retains the Roman numeral I centered within the agricultural wreath of wheat, cotton, and corn. The copper-nickel composition gives this pattern a silvery-white appearance markedly different from the traditional copper cent, anticipating the kind of uniform metallic appearance that Superintendent Snowden envisioned across all small denominations. The choice to test the cent in nickel alloy is significant: it indicates the Mint was considering whether all three small denominations (cent, three-cent piece, and nickel) might share a common copper-nickel composition, creating a visually unified coinage series. Only a handful of specimens survive, and the type is recognized as one of the more challenging early Barber patterns to acquire.

Rarity Notes

R-6 (Very Rare). High R.6 per Heritage Auctions, with an estimated 12-20 specimens known.

Cross References

Judd J-1665, Pollock P-1865