"Collecting coins for pleasure and profit"

1850 Pattern cent, J-121, P-136, PCGS PR-64RB.  Rarity-7 (4 to 12 examples are estimated to exist).  This is an annular, or ring form, pattern produced by the mint as an possible alternative to the increasingly unpopular and inconvenient large cents then circulating.  It would be seven years before a different alternative, the beautiful (but short-lived) flying eagle cent, was minted for circulation.    

This particular "red-brown" example is somewhat more brown than red, though it displays more red than shows up in my scan.  The die alignment is 360° (i.e., "medal turn" rather than "coin turn").  The reverse is riddled with die cracks, suggesting that, despite the tiny mintage, the "holey" design made the die extremely fragile.  PCGS has graded a total of 10 examples of J-121 (possibly including resubmissions), only one of which was awarded a slightly higher grade than this piece.  Price:  $2,850. 

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