Collecting Large Cents

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Large cents are my favorite coins. They were minted from 1793 to 1857, with the exception of 1815 because of a wartime copper shortage. They were struck in several designs, including the Flowing Hair, Liberty Cap, Draped Bust, Classic Head, Liberty Head, and Braided Hair. An example in Very Good condition costs around $40, with the exception of some pricier years, including 1793 and 1799.  

Some might say that large cents are pricey and boring, but that is not the case! In the denomination’s first year of issue, two Flowing Hair designs were released: the “Chain Reverse” and “Wreath Reverse.” The “Chain Reverse” came first and was criticized by those who claimed the design resembled captivity rather than freedom and unity.

In 1793 the early U.S. Mint was not able to achieve the level of quality it does now. Without hydraulic presses, mint workers had to strike coins manually, so the mint could produce only copper large cents and half cents at the time.

Weight Reduction

On December 21, 1795, President George Washington lowered the authorized weight of the large cent. This reduced its thickness and required designers to remove the edge lettering. In the 10 days remaining in 1795, the mint had the capacity to produce a limited number of  plain-edge 1795 cents. However, the mintage is so high that some plain-edge 1795-dated large cents were clearly made in 1796.

Classic Head large cents were produced from  poor-quality planchets as a side effect of the War of 1812. Undamaged examples in better grades are hard to find, so most collectors settle for lower-grade pieces. Because of this, nice Classic Head large cents are underappreciated.  If you are able to acquire one in good condition, consider yourself lucky. 

In 1815 no coins—including large cents—were struck. Right after the war ended in 1815, the mint ordered more planchets. So don’t purchase an 1815-dated large cent—it’s a scam.

Collecting Methods

Collectors have many options for acquiring large cents. Here are 10 approaches:

1. Collect by date

This approach seems pretty easy, but some dates are harder to acquire than you might think.

2. Collect by album

This is similar to collecting by date but it differs in that you only collect what is shown in the album.

3. Collect by variety

This method could become quite costly, but it would make for an amazing collection. You can choose to collect by A Guide Book of United States Coins (the “Red Book”) varieties, or you can look up all the different varieties.

4. Collect by die state

With this approach, you acquire examples according to the condition of the die when the coin was struck. 

5. Collect Condition Census coins

Condition Census coins (the finest-known examples of a specific variety) are incredibly expensive, but you would end up with a very valuable collection.  

6. Collect errors

Errors are everywhere, so this route would give you a large collection—and a pricey one. 

7. Collect by color

This method would be fun. Imagine owning a green large cent! There are several hues, such as black, green, and brown, to search for.

8. Collect by grade

For this approach, you would choose one year and acquire all the grades for that date.

9. Collect by type

Acquire one large cent of each design to complete a type set. This is a popular and generally affordable way to collect, particularly if you don’t mind lower-grade pieces.

10. Collect what you want

I have given you nine examples of common ways that people collect large cents, but here, you can use your imagination. For example, you could collect according to all the ideas I listed, choose your top five, or mix and match.

Regardless of the method you select, I hope you will start collecting these amazing coins.