1942 Cent Pattern - J-2063, Tan

Coin Details

Auction Record

$16,450 SP67 08-10-2016 Heritage Auctions

Description

Judd-2063, Pollock-2253, is a tan composition cent pattern from the 1942 wartime testing program. The tan color represented a more subdued attempt to approximate the appearance of a well-circulated bronze cent, which typically develops a warm tan-brown patina after years of handling. If a non-metallic cent had to look different from a freshly minted copper specimen, matching the color of a worn cent was a pragmatic approach — most Americans were far more familiar with the muted tan of circulated pennies than the bright red of uncirculated ones. The tan composition used a natural or lightly tinted material, a compressed fiber or cellulose compound. Like all the non-metallic experiments, the tan pattern demonstrated that alternative materials could physically accept the Lincoln cent's design elements, but the finished product lacked the weight, feel, and acoustic properties that the public associated with legitimate coinage.

Rarity Notes

R-7 to R-8. Extremely rare. Non-metallic patterns in lighter colors are particularly scarce, as they was more susceptible to soiling and degradation.

Cross References

Judd J-2063, Pollock P-2253; 1942 wartime cent composition testing program; tan non-metallic composition