Efforts at creating a smaller one cent piece continued with the creation of J149/P178 which utilized the obverse of the quarter eagle. It also marks the first use of german silver and other copper/nickel alloys by the Mint. Additional pieces using this reverse design J124C/P141 and J151B/P179 are also known. A prototype three cent piece J153/P182 with the type 2 design used in production during 1854-1858 is believed to have been struck. It was purchased by Joseph N.T. Levick at the 1867 Mickley sale and has not been seen since. Regrettably, the catalog description does not allow us to verify if this piece really does exist. The final pattern is the copper restrike of the silver dollar J154/P183. Unlike the 1851 and 1852 dated pieces, the silver and also the copper pieces of this year were unknown prior to 1876, the Breen listing for a silver example in the 1864 McCoy sale, ex 1862 Finotti, being discredited as a business strike. Photos used courtesy of Superior and American Numismatic Rarities. Go to Previous Page Or Next Page