1942 Cent Pattern - J-2064, Light Yellow

Coin Details

Description

Judd-2064, Pollock-2254, is a light yellow composition cent pattern from the 1942 wartime testing program. The light yellow coloring was intended to approximate the appearance of a brass cent, testing whether a non-metallic material with brass-like coloring could serve as a substitute. Among the spectrum of colors tested — black, brown, grey, red, tan, light yellow, and transparent amber — the light yellow pattern occupied a distinctive middle ground, neither attempting to replicate copper's appearance nor embracing a radically different look. The range of colors tested across the plastic and non-metallic series (J-2059 through J-2065) reveals the Mint's systematic approach: by testing the full color spectrum, they could determine whether any non-metallic color was acceptable to the public, or whether the material itself — regardless of color — was fundamentally unsuitable for coinage.

Rarity Notes

R-7 to R-8. Extremely rare. Light yellow patterns are among the scarcest of the non-metallic color variants.

Cross References

Judd J-2064, Pollock P-2254; 1942 wartime cent composition testing program; light yellow non-metallic composition