Small Cents
We see them everyday and we take them for granted. The Small Cent has been around since 1856 as the successor to the Large Cent. The Large Cent was considered unsightly and it was heavy. It was costing the Mint more to make a single Large Cent than the coin was worth so the small cent was the logical solution. The
Indian Head Small Cent
The small cents of the mid 1850s were called “white cents’ because of their pale color and they became popular quickly in the United States. Due to striking problems with the Flying Eagle design, the “Indian Head” small cent was produced. The Indian depicted on the small cent was not an American Indian but was apparently modeled after the Greco-Roman statue Venus Accroupie. The new design was well received by the public due to their small size.
Lincoln Wheat Steel Cent
Due to wartime needs for copper to make ammunition and other equipment for the military during the second World War, the US Mint looked into ways to limit their dependence on copper. After experimenting with several compounds ranging from other metals to plastics, the one cent coin was minted in zinc-coated steel.
Lincoln Wheat Small Cent
The Lincoln Cent made its debut in 1909 as a replacement for the old Indian Head Cent. There is no other US coin design that even comes close the the 93 year life span of the Lincoln Cent. This year is the 100th anniversary of the Lincoln Cent.
Flying Eagle Small Cent
The U.S. started circulating Small Cents in 1857 because it was too costly to make the larger size Half Cent and Large Cent and to encourage people to begin moving away from using Spanish and English coins.
Braided Hair Large Cent
By the year 1839, no one inside or outside the U.S. Mint were satisfied with the design of the large cent, including the creator, Chief Engraver Christian Gobrecht. The large cent had been the subject of ridicule since its very beginning, mostly for the designs. They are loved by today’s collectors, but the initial reaction was far from enthusiastic. Miss Liberty had been described as “Liberty in a Fright”, “Fat Mistress”, “Silly” and “Booby” over the years.
Large Cents
Large Cents were the very first coins made for circulation that were authorized by the U.S. government and these coins were issued between 1793 to 1857 with numerous design changes.
Classic Head Large Cent
The Classic Head large cent was produced by the U.S. Mint from 1808 through 1814. There were several design changes in a few short years that brought about the Classic Head design. The new director, Robert Patterson took control of the Mint in 1806 which started another shake-up at the facility.
Matron Head Large Cent
The Matron Head large cent featured an enlarged head of Liberty. The band holding the hair was replaced by a coronet and the word LIBERTY is in relief. The reverse shows a wreath. The term Matron Head comes from an author, Dr. William Sheldon, who wrote standard reference for cents struck from 1793 to 1814. He said that Liberty ‘resembled the head of an obese ward boss instead of a lady”.
Draped Bust Large Cent
The one cent coin was important in the closing years of the 18th century in the United States. Although large, the big copper coins were very useful for small transactions. The U.S. Mint had inadequate machinery and poor quality copper at that time, inexperienced employees and very limited funds to work with. It usually cost more to produce a coin than its face value. Congress nearly gave up on the business of making coins on several occasions and had considered turning the business over to private companies.
