United States | |
Value | 0.01 U.S. Dollar |
---|---|
Mass | 10.89 g |
Diameter | 29 (1836–1839) or 27 (1839–1857 and 1868) mm |
Edge | Plain |
Composition | 100% Cu |
Years of minting | 1816–1857 and 1868 |
Mint marks | None; all large cents were minted at the Philadelphia Mint. |
Obverse | |
Design | Liberty |
Designer | Robert Scot |
Design date | 1816 |
Design | Liberty |
Designer | Robert Scot (original design), Christian Gobrecht (modified design) |
Design date | 1836 |
Design | Liberty, Braided Hair, Petite Head |
Designer | Robert Scot (original design), Christian Gobrecht (modified design) |
Design date | 1839 |
Design | Liberty, Braided Hair, Mature Head |
Designer | Robert Scot (original design), Christian Gobrecht (modified design) |
Design date | 1843 |
Reverse | |
Design | Wreath |
Designer | Robert Scot |
Design date | 1816 |
Design | Wreath |
Designer | Robert Scot (original design), Christian Gobrecht (modified design) |
Design date | 1839 |
The Coronet large cent was a type of large cent issued by the United States Mint at the Philadelphia Mint [1] from 1816 until 1857. [2]
There are two similar designs of the Coronet large cent, the Matron Head and the Braided Hair, the latter with a slightly altered profile. This was the last large cent produced by the mint, being replaced by the reduced diameter Flying Eagle cent in 1857.
This section needs additional citations for verification .(December 2023) |
During the War of 1812, a trade embargo was imposed between the United States and England, which had supplied the US Mint with copper planchets. [3] The mint's supply was exhausted in 1814, and no Classic Head cents were produced dated 1815. It has often been written that no cents at all were struck that year, but coinage did resume in December 1815 using an 1814 or 1816-dated die. [4]
Once the embargo was lifted and the mint received new planchets, large cent production resumed, this time with a new design of the goddess Liberty by Robert Scot. The design change was made because the Classic Head cents received much criticism.
In 1823, only proof cents were produced during the calendar year, all others were made in 1824 using back-dated dies. [5]
The new cents, known as Matron Head cents, were not much better, however, and numismatist Walter H. Breen called the design "a spectacularly ugly head of Ms. Liberty". [6] In 1836, Christian Gobrecht made several modifications to the design, giving the bust of Liberty a younger appearance.
Gobrecht made further changes in 1839, creating the "Petite Head" Braided Hair cent. In 1843, the bust was enlarged and tilted upward, this design is known as the "Mature Head".
Matron Head varieties (1816–1839) | |||
---|---|---|---|
Year | Variety | Mintage | Notes |
1816 | – | 2,820,982 | |
1817 | 13 stars | 3,948,400 | |
15 stars error | Likely to have been caused by Robert Scot's poor eyesight due to age | ||
1818 | – | 3,167,000 | |
1819 | Standard date | 2,671,000 | |
9 over 8 error | |||
1820 | Small date | 4,407,550 | |
Large date | |||
20 over 19 error | Both small date and large date known [7] | ||
1821 | – | 389,000 | |
1822 | – | 2,072,339 | |
1823 | Standard date | ||
3 over 2 error | |||
Restrike | An estimated 240 examples exist [8] | Believed to have been created around the same time as the 1804 restrike large cent [9] | |
Silver restrike | >2 | ||
1824 | Standard date | 1,262,000 | |
4 over 2 error | |||
1825 | – | 1,461,100 | |
1826 | Standard date | 1,517,425 | |
6 over 5 error | |||
1827 | – | 2,357,732 | |
1828 | Large date | 2,260,624 | |
Small date | |||
1829 | Large lettering | 1,414,500 | |
Small lettering | |||
1830 | Large lettering | 1,711,500 | |
Small lettering | |||
1831 | Large lettering | 3,359,260 | |
Small lettering | |||
1832 | Large lettering | 2,362,000 | |
Small lettering | |||
1833 | – | 2,739,000 | |
1834 | Small 8, large stars | 1,855,100 | |
Large 8, small stars | |||
Large 8, large stars, small lettering | |||
Large 8, large stars, large lettering | |||
1835 | Small 8, small stars | 3,878,400 | |
Large 8, large stars | |||
Type of 1836 | |||
1836 | – | 2,111,000 | |
1837 | Type of 1837, large lettering | 5,558,300 | |
Type of 1837, small lettering | |||
Type of 1838 | |||
1838 | – | 6,370,200 | |
1839 | Head of 1838 | 3,128,661 | |
Head of 1838, 9 over 6 error | |||
"Silly Head" | |||
"Booby Head" |
Braided Hair varieties (1839–1857; 1868) | |||
---|---|---|---|
Year | Variety | Mintage | Notes |
1839 | – | 3,128,661 | |
1840 | Small date | 2,462,700 | |
Large date | |||
Small over large date error | |||
1841 | – | 1,597,367 | |
1842 | Large date | 2,383,390 | |
Small date | |||
1843 | Small head, small lettering | 2,425,342 | |
Small head, large lettering | |||
Large head | |||
1844 | Standard date | 2,398,752 | |
44 over 81 error | In reality, the date was punched into the die upside-down, but was corrected by punching the date correctly [10] [11] | ||
1845 | – | 3,894,804 | |
1846 | Small date | 4,120,800 | |
Medium date | |||
Tall date | |||
1847 | Standard date | 6,183,669 | |
Large over small 47 | |||
1848 | Standard date | 6,415,799 | |
Small date (counterfeit) | >10-12 | Although this coin is a counterfeit, many numismatists include this coin in coin catalogs | |
1849 | – | 4,178,500 | |
1850 | – | 4,426,844 | |
1851 | Standard date | 9,889,707 | |
51 over 81 | This error is similar to the 44 over 81 error, and inverted date was corrected by punching the date correctly into the die [12] | ||
1852 | – | 5,063,094 | |
1853 | – | 6,641,131 | |
1854 | – | 4,236,156 | |
1855 | Upright 55 | 1,574,829 | |
Slanted 55 | |||
Slanted 55, knob on ear | Error caused by a die break | ||
1856 | Upright 5 | 2,690,463 | |
Slanted 5 | |||
1857 | Large date | 333,456 | |
Small date | |||
1868 | Nickel | >7 | Pattern coins struck for collectors |
Copper | ≈12 |
The price of copper rose dramatically in the late-1840s, and the cost of producing large cents rose as a result. The US Mint started seeking an alternative that used less copper. The first attempt was to perforate the coin, resulting in the ring cents of 1850 and 1851. The standard composition of these coins was billon, an alloy of 90% copper and 10% silver. This coin was not placed into production as it was expensive to extract the silver from the alloy, and the coins were difficult to eject from the dies. Additionally, a drop in the price of copper temporarily eliminated the need to replace the large cent.
The price of copper rose again in the mid-1850s, and the mint again looked for an alternative cent. This time, the cent was reduced in size, only a little larger than a dime. Patterns for the Flying Eagle cent were struck in 1854, and proved to be a suitable replacement for the large cent. The small cent was approved for production in 1856, and several thousand 1856 Flying Eagle cents were sold to collectors. Full-scale production commenced in mid-1857, replacing the large cent last struck earlier that year. [13]
In 1868, eleven years after the last large cent was produced, a mint employee struck around a dozen and a half large cents dated 1868. These coins were struck in both copper and nickel planchets. [14] [15] Also produced that year were about 2 dozen dime patterns were minted in nickel with the obverse die of the 1868 large cent, plus an additional 2 dozen pieces struck in copper. [16]
The cent, the United States of America one-cent coin, often called the "penny", is a unit of currency equaling one one-hundredth of a United States of America dollar. It has been the lowest face-value physical unit of U.S. currency since the abolition of the half-cent in 1857. The first U.S. cent was produced in 1787, and the cent has been issued primarily as a copper or copper-plated coin throughout its history. Due to inflation, pennies have lost virtually all their purchasing power and are often viewed as an expensive burden to businesses, banks, government and the public in general.
1943 steel cents are U.S. one-cent coins that were struck in steel due to wartime shortages of copper. The Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco mints each produced these 1943 Lincoln cents. The unique composition of the coin has led to various nicknames, such as wartime cent, steel war penny, zinc cent and steelie. The 1943 steel cent features the same Victor David Brenner design for the Lincoln cent which had been in use since 1909.
Mint-made errors occur when coins are made incorrectly at the mint, including anything that happens to the coin up until the completion of the minting process. Mint error coins can be the result of deterioration of the minting equipment, accidents or malfunctions during the minting process, or interventions by mint personnel. Coins are inspected during production and errors are typically caught. However, some are inadvertently released into circulation. Modern production methods eliminate many errors and automated counters are effective at removing error coins. Damage occurring later may sometime resemble true mint errors. Error coins may be of value to collectors depending on the rarity and condition. Some coin collectors specialize in error coins.
Christian Gobrecht was the third Chief Engraver of the United States Mint from 1840 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. He designed the Gobrecht Dollar, which was struck in small quantities from 1836 to 1838 and later inspired the Flying Eagle cent. He also designed the obverse sides for the Liberty head Quarter Eagle, Half Eagle, and Eagle gold coins, as well as the "braided hair" type Half cent and Large cent coins.
Below are the mintage figures for the United States cent.
The half cent was the smallest denomination of United States coin ever minted. It was first minted in 1793 and last minted in 1857. It was minted with five different designs.
The Flowing Hair dollar was the first dollar coin issued by the United States federal government. The coin was minted in 1794 and 1795; its size and weight were based on the Spanish dollar, which was popular in trade throughout the Americas.
The United States large cent was a coin with a face value of 1/100 of a United States dollar. Its nominal diameter was 11⁄8 inch (28.57 mm). 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.
The Flying Eagle cent is a one-cent piece struck by the Mint of the United States as a pattern coin in 1856 and for circulation in 1857 and 1858. The coin was designed by Mint Chief Engraver James B. Longacre, with the eagle in flight based on the work of Longacre's predecessor, Christian Gobrecht.
The quarter eagle was a gold coin issued by the United States with a value of two hundred and fifty cents, or two dollars and fifty cents. It was given its name in the Coinage Act of 1792, as a derivation from the US ten-dollar eagle coin.
The 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.
The 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.
The Silver center cent is an American pattern coin produced by the United States Mint in 1792. As a precursor to the large cent it was one of the first coins of the United States and an early example of a bimetallic coin. Only 12 original examples are known to exist, of which one is located in the National Numismatic Collection at the Smithsonian Institution. Two more specimens exist but contain fabricated plugs added after minting.
The 1974 aluminum cent was a one-cent coin proposed by the United States Mint in 1973. It was composed of an alloy of aluminum and trace metals, and it was intended to replace the predominantly copper–zinc cent due to the rising costs of coin production in the traditional bronze alloy. Of the 1,571,167 coins struck in anticipation of release, none were released into circulation. To encourage congressional support for the new alloy, the Mint distributed several examples to U.S. Congressmen. When the proposed aluminum cent was rejected, the Mint recalled and destroyed those coins.
The Capped Bust coinage of the United States consisted of a half dime, dime, quarter and half dollar.
The three-cent bronze was a pattern coin struck in 1863 by George Eckfeldt. The coin shares its obverse design, thickness, and diameter with that of the Braided Hair large cent, but was made of bronze rather than pure copper. Weighing 140 grains, it weighed nearly three times that of the bronze Indian Head cent. About 50 to 60 examples are known.
The United States has several coins and banknotes which were proposed at one time but never adopted.
The ring cent or holey cent was a one-cent pattern coin first struck in various compositions and designs between 1850 and 1851 as part of an experiment on producing a cent with a reduced weight and diameter, as the rising price of copper had caused cents to cost more than their face value to produce. Many varieties exist, with differing designs as well as differing compositions, including billon (standard), aluminum, copper, cupronickel, nickel silver, nickel, silver, and white metal.
The Washington nickel is a pattern coin that was struck by the United States Mint in 1866 and again in 1909 and 1910.
Below are the mintage figures for the United States quarter.
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