1822 Proof

The 1822 proof large cent was made in an era when American coin collecting was still a pursuit of the very few. The word "numismatics" had barely entered English usage. The people who acquired proof cents from the Philadelphia Mint in the early 1820s were antiquarians, natural philosophers, and wealthy gentlemen who assembled cabinets of curiosities. They did not have dealer networks, price guides, or grading standards. They simply knew someone at the Mint, or knew someone who did, and arranged to have a few coins struck with care.

The proof itself was produced by polishing the working dies until the fields would impart a mirror surface to the struck coin. The planchet was inspected for blemishes and cleaned before striking. Multiple impressions from the screw press ensured that every strand of Liberty's hair and every letter of the reverse inscription came up fully. The result is a coin that preserves the 1822 Coronet Head design in a level of detail that no amount of careful preservation could achieve on a coin struck for circulation. Surviving 1822 proofs number in the low single digits.