American Large Cents (1793 - 1957)

American Large Cents (1793 - 1857)

United States Large Cents (1793 to 1857)  a large coin compared to the modern penny, there were several changes began with the first issued examples in 1793; were the first design, known as the 1793 "Chain" Cent, features a low-relief head of Liberty with fine, flowing locks of hair.  The reverse shows a chain of fifteen links, connected in a never-ending loop.

Reaction to the coins was quite negative: Liberty appeared to be in a fright and the chain was seen by many as representing bondage and slavery as opposed to strength and union.

As a result, Liberty's hair was strengthened and the chain was replaced with a wreath.  Known as the 1793 "Wreath" Cent, this design fared little better than its predecessor and was soon replaced.

The "Liberty Cap" design turned out to be a little more enduring.  Minted from 1794 to 1796, this design type is full of interesting varieties, many of them rare.  In 1795, the weight of the Large Cent was reduced and the edge lettering was replaced with a plain edge.  Some of the 1797 Large Cents have a curious "Gripped Edge."

In 1796, the "Draped Bust" design appeared.  This type was minted until 1807.  Rare dates in this type include the elusive 1799 and the popular 1804. The "Classic Head" Large Cent ran from 1808 to 1814.  Although none of the dates are rare, they are hard to find in nice condition.

The "Matron Head" design appeared in 1816 and lasted until 1839.  Scarce dates include 1821 and 1823.  Known as "Middle Dates", this series contains many interesting varieties that are of great interest to a large number of collectors.  Certain rare varieties can be worth hundreds or thousands of dollars.

The “varieties” spoken of have volumes of books dedicated to the differences; and as a collector that does a large amount of trading in Large Cents (1793 to 1822) I have acquired coins, determined the varieties and turned them for a lot more than the acquired cost. This is one of the passions in hunting for the rare coins and collecting.

Within the seven basic types, large cents are often collected by date. A complete date set is an easily obtainable goal within moderate budget constraints. Key dates include the 1793, 1799, and 1804. Of course, there are many different die pairings and Guidebook varieties. As a collection advances, various interesting varieties are often added; several different reverses found in 1796, over-dates (often dies were recycled by simply punching a new digit over a previous year's digit in the date) such as 1798/7 or 1807/6, and errors like the 1801 with the fraction on the reverse reading 1/000 instead of 1/100. Large cents are often attributed by Sheldon or Newcomb numbers; there are literally hundreds of these indicating different die pairings used throughout the years of production. Some years featured many different die varieties, some years used only one die pairing for the entire production. More advanced collectors frequently further expand their holdings by collecting large cents by Sheldon and/or Newcomb varieties. 

The most important organization for large cent collectors is the Early American Copper Society, www.eacs.org where members are invited to submit articles for publication and to comment, pro and con, on articles already published. The EAC Convention is held in early spring. Meeting sites are rotated throughout the United States, and another meeting is held in conjunction with the American Numismatic Association Convention in the summer. This is one of the best ways for new members to become familiar with early coppers and to meet others who share similar interests.

As with all collecting, you need to find out what interest's you the most and pursue it with all the vigor you can muster.

Thanks,

CJC

Links:

http://www.coinstudy.com/american-large-cent.html