1863 10C J-326A

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1863 Postage Currency Pattern in Billon, Judd-326A

1863 Ten Cents, Judd-326A, Pollock-394, R.7, PR 63 PCGS. 25.3 grains. A SEM-EDX analysis (#3504477) was performed on this piece, indicating it is 84.7% copper and 15.3% silver. The obverse has an ornamental shield with an inverted laurel wreath suspended from a ring, and a pair of crossed arrows is behind the shield. The peripheral legend reads EXCHANGED FOR U.S. NOTES. The reverse has 10 CENTS 1863 in the center and * POSTAGE CURRENCY * ACT JULY 1862 around the margin. Struck with a plain edge.
James B. Longacre designed this coin in May, 1863. This plain edge piece is struck in an alloy known as billon. Billon is a primarily copper alloy coin with less than half its weight in silver. Examples of this pattern are known with weights ranging from 24.5 grains to 25.3 grains. In the past, pattern catalogers have assumed a proportion of 75% copper and 25% silver. The eight pieces tested thus far have ranged from 81% copper and 19% silver to 85% copper and 15% silver. Records indicate that 27 pieces were struck May 27, 1863. The intrinsic value of this token coin was almost 1.5 cents.
The mostly copper surfaces display a muted reddish-brown patina with an outline of lighter color around the devices. A few spots and streaks of silver alloy are seen on each side.
Mr. Wolfe purchased this piece from Harry X Boosel’s auction (RARCOA, April 28-30, 1972), lot 1034. Later he performed a specific gravity test with a result of 9.42. Another example of a Judd-326a may be found in the Byron Reed Collection at the Western Heritage Museum.

Coin Index Numbers: (NGC ID# 29F8, PCGS# 60485, GSID# 12517)

View all of [The Gene Wolfe Collection of U.S. Pattern Postage Currency Coins ]

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