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United States Pattern Coins
Trials and Corruption
The coin pictured below is a pattern piece. It represents a proposed design for a five cent coin. In the Judd catalog system, it’s known as J-633.
As patterns go, it’s not particularly rare, listed as an R4 (76–200 known). Nor is it expensive, typically selling for around $1,200 to $1,500 today. I owned one of these many decades ago — they were even less expensive then and I think I remember selling it for less than $700.00.
Patterns were sometimes issued to show members of Congress and other interested parties what new designs would look like. This particular pattern was rejected, perhaps because a very similar design was already in use for a three cent coin that had been minted since 1865.
Coin designs are rejected for many reasons. The design may have been beautiful, but too intricate to reproduce on a coin. Political motivations and connections may favor one design over another. Sometimes, the people who made the decisions just didn't like what they saw.
Patterns also include circulating designs struck on other metals and other oddities.
