1911 Cent Pattern - J-C1911-1, Obverse

Coin Details

Auction Record

$400 XF Details 01-20-2022 eBay

Description

This privately-produced cent pattern from 1911 represents a uniface obverse impression — struck from only one die, leaving the opposite side blank or showing only the impression of the striking surface. The piece dates to a transitional period in American cent design: the beloved Indian Head cent had just been retired in 1909 and replaced by Victor David Brenner's Lincoln cent, which was still a novelty to the public. This private pattern explores an alternative cent design that was never officially adopted, produced outside the US Mint by an undocumented private die sinker. Uniface patterns of this type were created for various purposes: as die tests to evaluate a single die's performance before pairing it with a reverse, as presentation pieces for design evaluation, or simply as collectible curiosities for the numismatic market. The piece is cataloged with a "C" prefix in the Judd reference, indicating its non-official, privately-issued status, and with the Pollock number P-5050. It falls within the broader category of items that the Judd catalog describes as "fanciful combinations of rusted dies discarded by the U.S. Mint, privately issued tokens, sculptor's electrotypes, and other items" that have accumulated in numismatic collections alongside official pattern coinage.

Rarity Notes

Very rare. Privately-issued patterns from the early 20th century survive in very small numbers, typically fewer than a dozen known.

Cross References

Judd-C1911-1; Pollock-5050