1875 20C J-1405, CAM (Proof)

Judd 1405 is an aluminum pattern for a Twenty-Cent Piece. It is what I call a "true" pattern -- it wasn't made-after-the-fact, nor was it made for sale to collectors. Rather, it was a true test of a design and a different metal for a new denomination. The obverse features a figure of Liberty seated on a globe in the fashion of the Trade Dollars that had been introduced two years earlier. She holds an olive branch in the hand of her outstretched right arm. On the horizon of the ocean in the background, a hybrid steam- and sail-powered vessel heads right. The reverse is a simple design of the denomination within a wreath, all surrounded by the legend "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA."

Judd 1405 is fairly scarce, with less than a dozen examples known. Many are marred by tinpesting or corrosion because of the reactive nature of the aluminum. At least one example shows lamination marks which were caused by bubbles in the metal as it was rolled out. Many, if not most, of the Judd 1405's show good to strong cameo contrast between the devices and the fields.