J-151 1853 1 Cent Pattern PCGS PF65 - J151 1853 1c Pattern PCGS PF65. Struck 65% off-center. This unique, spectacular 1853 1 cent pattern coin is struck 65% off-center at 6:00. The piece is graded Gem Proof 65 by PCGS. The surfaces are original with light gunmetal gray toning on both sides. They are clean for the grade, with no visible abrasion marks or other distractions. The unstruck portions of the planchet show minor marks that would have been obliterated had the strike been on-center. The struck part of the coin is very strong. Full details are present in the centers of the stars, the strands of Libertys hair, and the elements of the wreath. The dentils are bold on both sides.

The pattern J-151, struck in 40% nickel and 60% copper, uses for its obverse the regular production die for the 1853 quarter eagle. It is interesting to note that there were no proof 1853 quarter eagles minted. Christian Gobrecht designed the obverse. It uses the Coronet design which shows Liberty in profile facing left, her hair tied tightly in beads, except for two curls one down the back of her neck and the other on the side below her ear, with the word LIBERTY inscribed on the coronet. She is surrounded by thirteen stars, and the date is below the truncation. The reverse, designed by James B. Longacre, shows a wreath of laurel that is open at the top and tied at the bottom with a bow. Within the wreath, in two lines, is the inscription ONE CENT. The piece was also struck in German silver, which is composed of nickel, copper, and zinc. Two different German silver alloy mixes were used.

The reverse design was criticized for being carelessly made. The words ONE CENT are spaced too far apart leaving a fairly large open space in the center. However, since the purpose of the coin was to test various metals the criticism is minor.

In 1826 Gobrecht did his first work for the Mint as an assistant to William Kneass. After Kneass suffered a debilitating stroke, Gobrecht did all the die and pattern work for the Mint. He became Chief Engraver in 1840 and served until his death in 1844. He was famous for his Liberty Seated motif, which was used for all denominations of silver coinage including the half-dime, dime, quarter dollar, half dollar and silver dollar. He also designed the Liberty Head gold eagle, a motif that was also used on the half-cent, the cent, the gold quarter eagle, and the gold half eagle. 

In 1844 Longacre was appointed Mint Engraver through the influence of Senator John C. Calhoun of South Carolina. After overcoming opposition by the Chief Coiner, Franklin Peale, who was fearful that the new Engraver would interfere with his illegal medal manufacturing business using the Mint facilities, Longacre did well. He was responsible for creating many new designs including the Indian Head cent, the two-cent piece, the Shield nickel, the Liberty Head gold dollar, the Indian Princess gold dollar, the three-dollar gold piece, and the Liberty Head double eagle. 

It its own right, the J-151 is a rare pattern piece. PCGS has certified 39 of them, and NGC has certified 12. These numbers do not account for crossovers and resubmissions. Judd places the population at 46 giving the pattern a low 6 Rarity rating. However, all of these numbers go by the wayside when we talk about this particular piece because it is a sensational and singular error.

An off-center coin is made by a striking error. During the striking process, the planchet fails to seat properly in the collar and is not correctly aligned between the dies. Off-center coins are described by the percentage of the design that is missing and the direction according to its clock position. For example a coin might be 50% off-center at 3:00. In the case of a Lincoln cent, such an error coin would be missing the date and the word TRUST.

While a few pattern coins have closely overlapped double strikes or minor clips, none are known with a major off-center strike such as the present piece. It has been recognized as # 64 in Brown, Camire, and Weinbergs 100 Greatest U.S. Error Coins. Of the coin they say, It is today, and in all likelihood will remain, the only major off-center pattern coin known.  The coin has also been described as, the most significant error known on any pattern. Its provenance includes the famous Barney Bluestone sale of June 1940, lot 508.