Wreath cent

Last updated
Flowing Hair large cent, wreath reverse
United states
Value0.01 U.S. Dollar
Mass13.48 g
Diameter26-27 mm
EdgeDecorated with bars and vines
Composition100% Cu
Years of minting1793
Mint marksNone, all large cents were minted at the Philadelphia Mint
Obverse
NNC-US-1793-1C-Flowing Hair Cent (wreath) (obverse).jpg
Design Liberty
Designer Henry Voigt
Design date1793
Reverse
NNC-US-1793-1C-Flowing Hair Cent (wreath) (reverse).jpg
DesignWreath
Designer Henry Voigt
Design date1793

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.

Chain cent

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.

Contents

Obverse design

The obverse design consisted of a stylized Liberty head with flowing hair. The inscription "LIBERTY" appeared above the portrait. Below it was a three-leaved sprig and the date. [1] The design of the Liberty head was modified somewhat from that of the Chain cent to address public criticism.

Obverse and reverse Front and back side of coins, medals, orders of merit, and paper bills

Obverse and its opposite, reverse, refer to the two flat faces of coins and some other two-sided objects, including paper money, flags, seals, medals, drawings, old master prints and other works of art, and printed fabrics. In this usage, obverse means the front face of the object and reverse means the back face. The obverse of a coin is commonly called heads, because it often depicts the head of a prominent person, and the reverse tails.

Reverse design

The reverse's central design figure, for which the coin is named, was a wreath. The words "ONE CENT" appeared within the wreath, and the corresponding fraction "1/100" appeared beneath it. Along the outer edge was inscribed "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA". A decorative beaded border was added along the rim.

Wreath assortment of flowers, leaves, fruits, twigs, or various materials that is constructed to form a ring

A wreath is an assortment of flowers, leaves, fruits, twigs, or various materials that is constructed to form a ring.

Varieties

Approximately 63,353 Wreath cents were struck. Early specimens featured a stylized "vine/bars" design on the edges of the planchet, which was identical to that of the earlier Chain cent. Later on, this was changed to a lettered edge reading "ONE HUNDRED FOR A DOLLAR". Early American copper collectors generally categorize the coins still further into thirteen different varieties under the Sheldon system. [2] [3] Most of these variations entail relatively minor changes, and often require careful examination to discern. One variety, however, is far more recognizable: the "Strawberry Leaf". On these strikings, the trefoil sprig above the date took the form of a strawberry plant. Only four such specimens are known, and all are heavily circulated. The finest known Strawberry Leaf cent sold at auction for $414,000 in November 2004. [4]

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.

William Herbert Sheldon American psychologist

William Herbert Sheldon, Jr. was an American psychologist and numismatist. He created the field of somatotype and constitutional psychology that correlate body types with Temperament, illustrated by his Ivy League nude posture photos.

Trefoil artistic representation of three circular leaf shapes used in architecture

Trefoil is a graphic form composed of the outline of three overlapping rings used in architecture and Christian symbolism. The term is also applied to other symbols of three-fold shape.

Legacy

The 1793 Wreath Cent is featured in the 2014 novel The Automation.

<i>The Automation</i> boo about the god Vulcans Automata.

The Automation is an indie, mythpunk novel by an anonymous author using the dual pen names B.L.A. and G.B. Gabbler, about the god Vulcan's Automata which function off their human Master's souls. Gabbler is known as the "Editor" and annotates the story, as if it was just a work of literature, through footnotes. B.L.A. is the "Narrator" and tells the fantastical story as if it were true. The Automation is the first volume in a series called the Circo del Herrero Series.

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References

  1. "Illustrated History of the United States Mint With a Complete Description of American Coinage" Page 78, 1890
  2. 1793 Wreath Cents, Collectors Universe, Inc.
  3. 1793 Wreath Cent Varieties, Collectors Universe, Inc.
  4. Kyle, Robert (2005), Rare 1793 U.S. Cent Found in Maine Sells for $414,000, Maine Antique Digest
Preceded by
Chain cent
United States one-cent coin
(1793)
Succeeded by
Liberty Cap cent