Large Cents

The United States large cent was a coin with a face value of 1/100 of a United States dollar. 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 (commonly called the "penny"). more...

List of designs

• Flowing Hair, chain reverse 1793
• Flowing Hair, wreath reverse 1793
• Liberty Cap 1793–1796
• Draped Bust 1796–1807
• Classic Head 1808–1814
• Coronet 1816–1857

General history

The best publication explaining the development of US Large Cents is Penny Whimsy written by Dr. William H. Sheldon in collaboration with Dorothy I. Paschal and Walter Breen. The organization devoted to the study and collecting of US Large Cents is Early American Coppers (EAC).

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. Some 36,000 were struck, and so-called "Chain cents" are now exceedingly rare.

Flowing Hair cents, wreath reverse (1793)

The Mint caved to the intense ridicule later in 1793, and Mint Director David Rittenhouse ordered Adam Eckfeldt 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.

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