Large cent (United States coin)
Encyclopedia
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
large cent was a coin
Coin
A coin is a piece of hard material that is standardized in weight, is produced in large quantities in order to facilitate trade, and primarily can be used as a legal tender token for commerce in the designated country, region, or territory....
with a face value
Face value
The Face value is the value of a coin, stamp or paper money, as printed on the coin, stamp or bill itself by the minting authority. While the face value usually refers to the true value of the coin, stamp or bill in question it can sometimes be largely symbolic, as is often the case with bullion...
of 1/100 of a United States dollar
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
. Its diameter varied between 27mm and 29mm. The first official mintage of the large cent was in 1793, and its production continued until 1857, when it was officially replaced by the modern-size one-cent coin
Cent (United States coin)
The United States one-cent coin, commonly known as a penny, is a unit of currency equaling one one-hundredth of a United States dollar. The cent's symbol is ¢. Its obverse has featured the profile of President Abraham Lincoln since 1909, the centennial of his birth. From 1959 to 2008, the reverse...
(commonly called the penny
Penny
A penny is a coin or a type of currency used in several English-speaking countries. It is often the smallest denomination within a currency system.-Etymology:...
).
List of designs
- Flowing Hair 1793
- Flowing Hair, chain reverseChain centThe Chain cent was America's first large cent and the first circulating coin officially produced by the United States Mint. It was struck only during 1793.-Obverse design:...
1793 - Flowing Hair, wreath reverseWreath centThe Wreath cent was an American large cent. It was the second design type, following the Chain cent in 1793. It was produced only during that year.- Obverse design :...
1793 - Liberty CapLiberty Cap Large CentThe Liberty Cap Large Cent was a type of large cent struck by the United States Mint from 1793 until 1796, when it was replaced by the Draped Bust large cent.- History :...
1793–1796
- Flowing Hair, chain reverse
- Draped BustDraped bust"Draped Bust" was the name given to a design of United States coins. It appeared on much of the regular-issue copper and silver United States coinage from 1795-1808. The denominations that featured the Draped Bust design included the half cent.-Basic design:...
1796–1807 - Classic HeadClassic HeadThe Classic Head Large Cent was a type of large cent issued by the mint from 1808 until 1814. It was worth 1/100th of a dollar.-Sources:R.S. Yeoman, A Guide Book Of United States Coins 2009 Edition....
1808–1814 - Coronet HeadMatron HeadThe original Coronet Large Cent, sometimes nicknamed "Matron Head", was a type of cent issued by the United States Mint in Philadelphia from 1816 until 1839...
, or Middle Dates 1816–1835 - Matron Head (modified)Matron HeadThe original Coronet Large Cent, sometimes nicknamed "Matron Head", was a type of cent issued by the United States Mint in Philadelphia from 1816 until 1839...
or "Young Head" 1835 - 1839 - Coronet Head, or Late Dates 1839–1857
General history
First struck in 1793, the large cent was coined every year from 1793 to 1857 minus one year (1815) due to a shortage of copper. The Philadelphia Mint produced all large cents, which contained twice the copper of the half cent. This made the coins bulky and heavy, bigger than modern-day U.S. QuartersQuarter (United States coin)
A quarter dollar, commonly shortened to quarter, is a coin worth ¼ of a United States dollar, or 25 cents. The quarter has been produced since 1796. The choice of 25¢ as a denomination, as opposed to 20¢ which is more common in other parts of the world, originated with the practice of dividing...
.
Flowing Hair cents, chain reverse (1793)
Henry Voight's design was almost universally criticized in its time for its unattractiveness and perceived allusion to slavery. It bears the distinction, however, of being the first official coinage minted by the federal government on its own equipment and premises. 36,103 were minted. Its low survival rate on top of a small mintage, coupled with being the first regular federal issue and a one-year design and type, has created an extremely strong demand from generations of numismatists. As a result, all surviving specimens command high prices ranging from $2,000-$3,000 in the absolute lowest state of preservation to over $500,000 in the highest.Flowing Hair cents, wreath reverse (1793)
The Mint caved to the intense ridicule later in 1793, and Mint Director David RittenhouseDavid Rittenhouse
David Rittenhouse was a renowned American astronomer, inventor, clockmaker, mathematician, surveyor, scientific instrument craftsman and public official...
ordered Adam Eckfeldt
Adam Eckfeldt
Adam Eckfeldt was a worker and official in the early days of the United States Mint. A lifelong Philadelphian, Eckfeldt served as the second chief coiner of the Mint, from 1814 until 1839....
to revise the obverse and reverse designs. Liberty's bust was redesigned with even longer, wilder hair, and the chain was removed from the reverse in favor of a wreath. Scholars are undecided as to what plant or plants are depicted in the wreath, with several varieties extant. Total mintage of the wreath reverse numbered about 63,000 pieces.
Liberty Cap cents (1793–1796)
Rittenhouse was dissatisfied with Eckfeldt's designs, and with the criticism of the Chain cents fresh in his mind, he hired Joseph WrightJoseph Wright
Joseph Wright may refer to:* Joseph A. Wright , governor of Indiana* Joseph C. Wright , American art director* Joseph Robert Wright, Jr...
to do yet another redesign in the denomination's troubled first year. Wright's design faced Liberty to the right and "tamed" her wild hair. The cap was added as an ancient symbol of freedom. The reverse design was revised to a recognizable laurel wreath, and future Chief Engraver Robert Scot
Robert Scot
Robert Scot was the first Chief Engraver of the United States Mint from its inception in 1793 until his death in 1823. He was succeeded by William Kneass.-Early life:...
had a hand in several minor revisions to the design over the next three years.
This design was more successful and it was continued into 1796. In 1795, planchet
Planchet
A planchet is a round metal disk that is ready to be struck as a coin. An older word for planchet is flan. They are also referred to as blanks.-History:The preparation of the flan or planchet has varied over the years...
s became too thin for the edge lettering because of a weight reduction, so the mint stopped edge lettering on the cent, and the rest of these coins were made with a plain edge. Four coins from 1795 are known to have a reeded edge.
Draped Bust cents (1796–1807)
Robert Scot redesigned the whole of United States coinage for 1796, applying a new design featuring a bust of Liberty wearing a drapery at the neckline and a ribbon in her flowing hair. The reverse design now featured an olive wreath. As with earlier types, several minor revisions to the design were made in the first few years, with the final 1797 design lasting through the end of the type in 1807.Classic Head cents (1808–1814)
John Reich, assistant to Chief Engraver Scot, was appointed by new Mint Director Robert PattersonRobert Patterson
Robert Patterson was a United States major general during the Mexican-American War and at the beginning of the American Civil War...
to redesign Scot's Draped Bust cent (along with every other circulating coin design). The so-called "Classic Head" derives its name from the fillet worn by Liberty on the obverse, though the fillet was worn only by male athletes in ancient Greece. The copper used during the years in which Classic Head cents were minted was of a higher quality, containing less metallic impurity. Consequently, they were softer and more prone to wear and corrode more quickly than issues before or after. As a result, unimpaired, high-grade specimens are especially difficult to obtain and fetch strong premiums when they appear on market, especially with original red or red-brown mint luster.
Matron Head, or Middle Dates (1816–1839)
As a response to public criticism of the Classic Head, the Mint assigned Chief Engraver Scot to redesign the cent in 1816. This newest design enlarged the obverse portrait, giving Liberty a much more mature look (leading to the Matron Head reference), and surrounded the portrait with stars along the outer edge of the coin. The "Matron head" design was modified in 1835 to give Liberty a younger look and matron head cents continued to be made until 1839.Braided Hair, or Late Dates (1839–1857)
Facing more negative public reaction, the Coronet cents were redesigned in 1835 by new Chief Engraver Christian GobrechtChristian Gobrecht
Christian Gobrecht was the third Chief Engraver of the United States Mint from 1835 until his death in 1844. He was responsible for designing the famous "Seated Liberty" designs, which were in turn the direct inspiration for the design of the Trade Dollar...
. This last major change to the coin updated the obverse by giving Liberty a slimmer, more youthful appearance. Minor tweaks continued through 1843, and the 1843 design prevailed through the end of mintage in 1857. Some 11 years after the large cent was discontinued, a mint employee coined several large cents dated 1868, almost certainly for sale as instant rarities to numismatists. Fewer than a dozen of these unofficial issues, struck in both bronze and copper-nickel, are known to survive.
See also
- Cent (United States coin)Cent (United States coin)The United States one-cent coin, commonly known as a penny, is a unit of currency equaling one one-hundredth of a United States dollar. The cent's symbol is ¢. Its obverse has featured the profile of President Abraham Lincoln since 1909, the centennial of his birth. From 1959 to 2008, the reverse...
- United States dollarUnited States dollarThe United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
- Mill (currency)Mill (currency)The mill or mille is a now-abstract unit of currency used sometimes in accounting. In the United States, it is a notional unit equivalent to of a United States dollar...
External links
- Complete US Large Cent information by year and type. Histories, photos, mintages, mints, diameters, weights, metal contents, edge designs, designers, and more.
- Large Cent Pictures
- Images of Large Cents at the American Numismatic SocietyAmerican Numismatic SocietyThe American Numismatic Society is a New York City-based organization dedicated to the study of coins and medals.-Introduction:...
.