A pattern coin is a coin produced for the purpose of evaluating a proposed coin design, but which was not approved for general circulation. Generally, these coins are of interest only to collectors of pattern coins.
What is a Pattern Coin?
From Susan Headley, former About.com Guide
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PATTERN COINS, DIE TRIALS & FANTASIES
From time to time, the United States Mint considers implementing new designs on the coins in circulation. Historically, the Mint developed new designs either internally or through outside competitions.
United States Pattern Coinage: A Short Chronology
Produced sporadically since the Mint's earliest days, patterns drew little attention from anyone outside the Philadelphia facility until 1836, when the Gobrecht dollars first appeared.
Pattern Coins
The Bass Collection Patterns
Pattern coins formed a special area of interest for Harry W. Bass, Jr.
Pattern Coins
Patterns, it has been said, are what might have been in coinage but weren't.
Pattern Coin Price Guides
You always drive the same way to work and eat the same fruit salad for breakfast. Boring? You prefer to think of it as your own personal pattern. Patterns can be significant--just ask criminal profilers.
Prototype - Pattern coins which virtually are identical to the coins adopted for general use. Usually dated the year prior to the general use coin. Example 1863 Two Cent Piece ...
In 1776 three unique copper pattern coins were designed but were never put into production. All three examples have been attributed to Paul Revere.
pattern coins. platinum Precious metal sometimes used for coinage. The only United States issues struck in platinum are the pattern half dollars of 1814 and the modern platinum Eagles.
who edited the book, United States Pattern Coins, Experimental and Trial
Pieces, states, "Virtually no record at all was kept on the patterns made
during the general period from 1859 to 1885!" So, no one knows for sure ...
Pattern coins from recent years are illegal to own because they are still considered government property. However, older patterns were released to dignitaries, etc and are legally available to buy or sell in the numistmatic market place.
All seemed well until, somehow, a pattern coin fell into the hands of one of the Hobbs folks and the design war began once again. Changes were asked and the Mint Bureau agreed.
Linderman, a collector of pattern coins himself, ordered Philadelphia Mint Superintendent James Pollock to obtain designs and submit patterns for approval.
Used primarily in PATTERN coinage and early cents, it is used to estimate the surviving POPULATION of a coin. Specically:
R-8 Estimated 1-3 known (Unique or Nearly Unique)
R-7 Estimated 4-12 known (Extremely Rare) ...
Si - Silicon an ingredient used in the manufacture of a few experimental base metal pattern coins having the ability to retard the oxidation that ordinarily accompanies similar, primarily aluminum or tin coins not having silicon added.
In fact ours is a pattern coin, as florins were not officially issued until the next year 1849.
The Major had thirty collecting hobbies, among them pattern coins. He spoke at length of his search for new specimens, research work and the pleasure and satisfaction derived from accomplishment.
four-dollar gold piece: a pattern coin issued in gold in 1879 and 1880, nicknamed "Stella."
Franklin Half Dollar: the U.S. Half Dollars struck from 1948 to 1963 with the head of Benjamin Franklin on the front.
These two cast asses were produced from the same pattern coin. While I believe they were produced in ancient times, they were not official Rome mint products. These coins are referred to as "Cast in Gaul" but I do not know details of this attribution.
Prototype
This is a pattern coin which is identical to the coins later adopted for general use. They are usually dated the year prior to the general use coin.
Coin Collecting Terms beginning with the letter Q
Q ...
2. Rhode;s, N.G., "Two Tibetan Pattern Coins", Oriental Numismatic Society Newsletter, NO. 105, March/April, 1989.
3. Rhodes, N.G., "Two Rare Tibetan Coins", Oriental Numismatic Society Newsletter, No. 124, May/June, 1990.
Great information about U.S. pattern coins, including a listing of the U.S. patterns in the National Numismatic Collection.
Virtual Catalog of Roman Coins
MINTS AND GOVERNMENT SITES ...
Two rare early proof sets and a remarkable set of six pattern coins associated with the famous 'Stella' coinage experiment are important collective highlights of Heritage's Tampa FUN Platinum Night U.S. Coin Auction, Thursday, Jan. 6, 2011.
Rarity Scale
Used primarily in PATTERN coinage and early cents, it is used to estimate the surviving POPULATION of a coin. Specifically: ...
Spade Guinea - A guinea of the pattern coined 1789-1800, so called from the form of the escutcheon on the reverse.
[Great Britain] ...
Pattern - A coin struck as a trial or experimental piece, typically for a new design, denomination or metal. Many times pattern coins are struck without all final legends, dates, design details, etc.
Continental dollar - A dollar-sized pattern coin struck in 1776 as proposed coinage.
Pattern - A proposed design of a coin that may, or may not have been chosen to be circulated at a later date. A number of Edward VIII pattern coins were produced for testing but when the King abdicated a few of these pattern pieces 'escaped'.
Usually, a new design or made of experimental metal alloys. Still considered government property, resent U.S. Pattern coins are illegal to own.
Four-dollar gold piece - An experimental issue, also known as a Stella, struck in 1879-1880 as a pattern coin.
FR - Acronym for Fair.
An experimental issue, also known as a stella, struck in 1879-1880 as a pattern coin.
FPL
Acronym for Fixed Price List.
A term used to describe a coin to which a thin layer of metal has been applied-for example, gold-plated copper strikings of certain U.S. pattern coins.
platinum ...
We really don't know much about what happened inside ancient mints, so the process of how they determined new coins is still very much a mystery. Perhaps this coin is an example of a pattern coin, much like the US 1856 Flying Eagle Cent?
pattern - a coin that was struck as an experiment or as a trial piece. Usually, of a new design or made of experimental metal alloys. U.S. Pattern coins from recent years are illegal to own because they are still considered government property.
This lettering was first used by Blondeau on pattern coins of 1651. It was not until 1658 that this process was regularly used on crowns and, after 1668, on five guineas. A lettered edge stopped the clipping of coins.
More advanced numismatists often assemble sets of the pattern coinage of this design. Proofs are extremely rare, except in the case of the 1856, and probably less than a total of 100 proofs exist of the three issues from 1857 and 1858.
along with a 2000-P Lincoln Cent in boxes of Cheerios cereal to promote the new Dollar coin. Some design details on the "Cheerios" Dollars are different from later strikes, causing some experts to propose the "Cheerios" Dollar as a pattern coin.
 See also: Pattern, Coin, Collector, Silver, Mint
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