Large Cents were minted in the United States from 1793 until 1857. They are very popular today and are one of the most avidly pursued denominations of coinage. Anyone with more than passing interest in large cents should definitely consider joining Early American Coppers, a group of serious collectors and students of the coins. More information can be found at www.eacs.org. I am having a difficult time achieving the proper lighting with the photos, but I hope to get better. These are low resolution photos for faster loading.
I just don't have the correct lighting for photographing large cents, but I'll work on it! The 1793 (Sheldon-4 variety) looks better in the copper than in the photo. The two cents below, however, look just about as they do "in the copper". All my cents are "humble" since I follow Dr. Sheldon's warning: "Never invest more in a large cent than you can afford to lose!'
1793 Sheldon 6
1793 Sheldon-11
To the upper left is the large cent design named "Liberty Cap". This style was minted in 1793 through 1796. Directly above is a "Draped Bust" design minted from 1796 until 1807. To the left is "Classic Head" style minted from 1808 until 1814. There were no cents minted in 1815, the only year from 1793 until 1857 in which no large cents appeared. During the early years of the mint, dies were hand-cut resulting in minor variations which are eagerly sought by cent collectors. Varieties are even created by the same die as they began to wear out and produce oddities, as show below.
Shown above on the left is a 1817 Newcomb variety-12. The die used to strike the coin has been well-used and a die crack has begun to develop. This is indicated by the "crack" beginning to develop through the stars and date. The coin on the right is also an N-12, but was struck just before the die was discarded. At the time I found this coin, it was the 2nd known in this "terminal die state". I believe three are known now.
This 1836 cent has a neat die break above the stars over Liberty's head. This a common variety which is winner with me because it was minted the year that Texas achieved independence from Mexico.
This not-too-handsome cent is the first large cent and the second coin I bought as a young collector at the age of 10. I ordered it through the mail and paid 90 cents plus postage. It has been in my collection 46 years and hopefully it will be for many more. The dealer forgot to mention the corrosion!
