P. Scott Rubin:
1855 Half Dollar Struck in Aluminum – Judd-175
The unique 1855 Half Dollar struck in aluminum (Judd-175) is quite possibly the first coin ever struck in this metal. This coin is in the collection of Princeton University and has only been offered once at auction since its creation.
Aluminum was discovered by a chemist named Wohler in 1827 and was isolated by the use of electricity in 1854 by Robert Bunsen. An ingot of aluminum was first exhibited in Paris in 1855. It appears that this unique coin may very well have been the world’s first attempt to use this new metal as coinage.
The only time this coin has ever been offered for sale was in the May 16, 1883 George W. Cogan auction where it appeared as lot number 160. John W. Adams in his book United States Numismatic Literature, Volume One, suggests that the collection sold in this Cogan sale was from the collection John Allen. The coin was bought by T. Harrison Garrett in whose collection it remained until his death in 1888. The coin collection which included this coin next went to his son Robert, who loaned it to Princeton University. In the early twentieth century the coin collection was traded to his brother John Work Garrett and the coins were moved from Princeton to Evergreen House John’s home in Baltimore. However, it appears that this 1855 aluminum Half Dollar never left Princeton, where it remains today.
This coin has a recorded weight of 3.71 g. At the time of its striking aluminum was worth about twice the value of silver.
This is one of the most important patterns made it the United States, it is the first struck in this semi-precious metal (at the time) and there is only one specimen known.
Source:
P. Scott Rubin, “The World’s First Aluminum Coin?”, The Numismatist, Vol. 97, No. 7 (July, 1984), pp. 1382-1384.
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