1942 Cent Pattern - J-2062, Red

Coin Details

Auction Record

$1,920 UNC Details 11-30-2021 Stack's Bowers

Description

Judd-2062, Pollock-2252, is a red composition cent pattern from the 1942 wartime testing program. The red coloring represented the most ambitious attempt to replicate the appearance of a freshly minted copper cent using non-metallic materials. A bright red cent would be immediately recognizable as a "penny" based on color alone, potentially easing public acceptance of the composition change. The red tint was achieved through pigments or dyes added to the base material, and the resulting pattern would have been visually striking. However, the color stability of dyed non-metallic materials under the stresses of circulation — handling, sweating, exposure to cleaning chemicals, and abrasive wear — was highly questionable. A red plastic cent that faded to pink or orange within weeks of entering circulation would undermine rather than build public confidence. Despite its visual appeal, the red composition shared all the fundamental limitations of the other non-metallic experiments: insufficient weight, no metallic ring, vulnerability to heat, and easy counterfeiting.

Rarity Notes

R-7 to R-8. Extremely rare. The vivid color makes this one of the most visually distinctive items in the entire wartime pattern series.

Cross References

Judd J-2062, Pollock P-2252; 1942 wartime cent composition testing program; red non-metallic composition