1961 Bashlow Copper Restrike Reverse Trial Hub Cent

Coin Details

Description

The 1961 Bashlow Confederate Cent Reverse Hub Trial in copper is the companion piece to the obverse hub trial, showing only the reverse design of Lovett’s Confederate cent. This piece displays the agricultural wreath of cotton, tobacco, corn, and wheat encircling the denomination "1 CENT" with "CONFEDERATE STATES OF AMERICA" around the periphery, struck as a single-sided test impression during Bashlow’s die preparation process. The reverse hub trial serves the same technical function as the obverse trial — verifying that the transfer hub faithfully reproduced the original die’s design before committing to full production. Examining the reverse in isolation allows close study of the botanical details in Lovett’s wreath design, including the individual cotton bolls, tobacco leaves, corn ears, and wheat sheaves that symbolized the agricultural foundation of the Confederate economy. Like all hub trials, this piece was struck in minimal quantities solely for quality control purposes. The copper composition was a practical choice for testing, as it strikes cleanly and reveals fine detail clearly. The reverse hub trial, paired with its obverse counterpart, documents the complete die preparation sequence that Bashlow undertook before producing his finished two-sided restrikes in over a dozen different metals and materials.

Rarity Notes

Rare. Reverse hub trials were produced in very small numbers as production test pieces. They are significantly scarcer than the finished two-sided Bashlow restrikes.

Cross References

NGC #886018