1942 Cent Pattern - J-2068, Hard Rubber

Coin Details

Description

Judd-2068, Pollock-2258, is a hard rubber cent pattern from the 1942 wartime testing program. Hard rubber, also known as vulcanite or ebonite, is natural rubber that has been heavily vulcanized with sulfur to produce a rigid, durable material. Charles Goodyear's vulcanization process, patented in 1844, had made hard rubber a common industrial material by the 1940s, used in everything from fountain pens to electrical insulation. For coinage, hard rubber offered moderate hardness, resistance to corrosion, and the ability to take a reasonably detailed impression. Its black color was distinctive but bore no resemblance to traditional coinage metals. The material's response to temperature extremes was a concern — hard rubber becomes brittle in cold weather and can soften in extreme heat, conditions that circulating coins routinely encounter. The hard rubber cent, along with the Bakelite and fiber patterns, extended the non-metallic experiments beyond pure plastics into the broader category of processed organic materials.

Rarity Notes

R-7 to R-8. Extremely rare. Hard rubber patterns are susceptible to cracking and lower survival rates than metallic alternatives.

Cross References

Judd J-2068, Pollock P-2258; 1942 wartime cent composition testing program; hard rubber (vulcanite/ebonite); cf. Charles Goodyear vulcanization (1844)