1942 Cent Pattern - J-2057, Aluminum

Coin Details

Description

Judd-2057, Pollock-2247, is an aluminum cent pattern from the 1942 wartime testing program. Aluminum had intrigued Mint officials since the 1860s, when it was more expensive than gold, and periodic aluminum pattern experiments had been conducted throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries. By 1942, aluminum had become an abundant industrial metal, making it a viable coinage candidate for the first time. An aluminum cent would weigh only a fraction of a bronze cent, dramatically reducing the weight burden of large quantities of coins in commerce and transportation. However, aluminum's extreme lightness was also its greatest liability — the coin felt insubstantial and toy-like, undermining public confidence in its value. Aluminum also performed poorly in vending machines calibrated for heavier coins. The concept of an aluminum cent would resurface dramatically in 1974, when the Mint produced approximately 1.57 million aluminum cents before Congress intervened and ordered them destroyed, making the few surviving 1974 aluminum cents among the most controversial items in American numismatics.

Rarity Notes

R-6 to R-7. Very rare. Aluminum cent patterns are highly sought after as precursors to the controversial 1974 aluminum cent program.

Cross References

Judd J-2057, Pollock P-2247; 1942 wartime cent composition testing program; aluminum; cf. 1974 aluminum cent (J-2149)