1792 FUSION ALLOY CENT

Known Examples:

Only one Fusion Alloy Cent is known.  Breen claimed that the Pine Tree-ANA example had been chemically(?) tested and found to contain silver, but no silver was found in this coin when it was tested later on behalf of the cataloguer of the   Norweb collection.

1. Harmer Rooke 11/1969 - New Jersey private collection.  According to the Norweb cataloguer, this piece was tested using x-ray flourescence and found to contain silver.

History:

1792 saw a flurry of activity aimed at establishing a Mint in America.  Congress passed a Mint Act, a Director was chosen, a lot was purchased, a building was erected, and employees were hired. 

For the One Cent piece, which was to be one of the main coins produced in 1793, four types were tested: a large copper   piece (the "Birch" Cent), a smaller copper piece with a silver center (the Silver-Center Cent"), another of the same size (the Fusion Alloy Cent, in which the silver and copper were melted together), and another of the same size in pure     copper.  Although no written evidence remains to record the testing, clearly the large, pure copper piece was favored, as   this was the chosen format when production of Large Cents began in 1793.

Judd considered all the plain edge pieces to be counterfeits.