Content is available for anyone interested in this series and is designed to be an updated reference committed to the study and propagation of the series. This page is dedicated to everything related to the collecting of early united states copper coins, with an emphasis on large cents. Haxby catalog of the canadian 1859 large cent home. This is the first new standard reference work on varieties of u. This is the quuintisential large cent variety indentification guide for 17931814 large u. The first is the standard normal date without any overdate errors with the style 2 hair. The cent book was released at the 25th anniversary convention of early american coppers eac on 35 april, 1992. What is the value of an 1840 us large cent answers. However, its an expensive book, only 38 out of 754 pages are devoted to large cents, and much of the information is either highly technical or may be found in other large cent references.
Naked eye or red book varieties of general interest include large and small dates of. Born in 1793 and immediately a source of controversy, the big pennies have been thru several redesigns and resizes, includin. Large cents have earned a spot in history as the first coins ever minted by the united states government on its own equipment and premises they were minted from 1793 to 1857 at the mint in philadelphia, the only u. Wright of saint joseph, michigan, has collected this series for over forty years, and has written many numismatic articles over the past. The above examples are just a small sampling of the numerous varieties there are within the u. This page also shows coins listed for sale so you can buy and sell. Large cents were produced in philadelphia between the years of 1793 and 1857. Despite a fairly nondescript and rather ugly cover, the contents of the book have been reproduced wonderfully. Many are minor and include such things as doubling of the obverse lettering. There are also small and large date varieties, an abondance of various overdates, small and large fraction bar, with and without stems, plain 4 and crosslet 4 varieties, and 15 star varieties, just to mention a few. To submit coins, verify particular coin is recognized under this program by referring to the list below. Coin value prices, price chart, coin photos, mintage figures, coin melt value, metal composition, mint mark.
Large cents have now come to be known as pennies, but when they were first produced this. This book is wellknown for being the golden standard for large cent attribution. Levick made obverse and reverse rubbings of the finest varieties. Collectors pursuing these old and scarce coins underpin american large cent values. A guide book of half cents and large cents, 1st edition. This book is only surpassed in its usefullness by the new noyes book set.
The first two deal with the 1807 date on the obverse of the coin both of which are actually 18076 overdate errors where the 1807 date was struck on top of an 1806 date. Each represents, for the dates under consideration, the first thoroughly researched. Braided hair large cent photos, mintage, specifications, errors. That is the minimum value of a coin in good condition, a heavily worn coin. Gold and silver coins make up most of my collection, but i have been buying some large cents lately. The liberty cap large cent, designed by joseph wright, was issued by the mint from 1793 to 1796. The large cent coin is 1 18 inches in diameter or 28. Turnaround time is not guaranteed but we will make every effort to. N numbers remain standard today, though their attribution is much easier now with john r. In 1793, among the very first coins the united states mint ever struck was a onecent coin. Some of these varieties greatly influences the value of the coin for collectors. Specifically the 1838, i purchased a dateless lc that is known to be that date 1838 because of a doubled bead on the reverse. This is the book that helps you attribute the half cent varieties by cohen number, and it includes lots of photographs and descriptions.
All large cents were minted at the philadelphia mint and have no mint mark. This 400page book, written by a middledate specialist, is the authoritative book on the series. Buy large cents 1793 1857 online large cent coin values. Varieties are well described and placed in an emission sequence that has been significantly updated since the book was published. My specialty is collecting the early dates, 1793 to 1814, by sheldon variety. Rick snows first book on indian cent varieties 1992 along with kevin flynns extensive look at misplaced dates was a good starting point for me. The goto book for laterdate large cents 18401857 is the book by john grellman and jules reiver. The first official mintage of the large cent was in 1793, and its production continued until 1857, when it was officially replaced by the modernsize onecent coin commonly called the penny.
Liberty cap large cents 17931796 complete coin guide. Others are 1844 and 1851 coins showing an 18 punched upside down where the last two digits of the date were supposed to. By contrast, another great rarity of the large cent series, the reeded edge 1795 cent, s79, has always been listed in the judd books as a pattern. The large cent was one of the first coins ever made by the u.
The other two varieties are 180079 overdate errors where the 1800 date was struck over a 1790s date resulting in the underlying 79 appearing under the 80. This was the last large cent produced by the mint, being replaced by the reduced diameter flying eagle cent in 1857. I have been collecting coins for over 50 years and have most of daves books. The three books reprinted in this volume can truly be called classics in the field. Victorian cent obverses through the victorian years, the mint used six distinctly different obverse effigies. This allencompassing work should be owned by every numismatist. Both h mintmarked coins and noh coins were minted in 1900, and the mintmarked coin is easier to. In my opinion, this is the standard reference for half cents. This site is an ongoing project that will take time to. This book is very good for those just getting into half and larger cent varieties, as the specialized books for these are either rather expensive or out of print.
Jun 23, 20 this book is wellknown for being the golden standard for large cent attribution. There were 3 major varieties of the 1840 braided hair liberty large cent, which was only minted in philadelphia. This coin is larger that the modern quarter about 27mm. The following chart shows a wide range in how much these are worth. Discussion in coin chat started by zach24, oct 29, 2011. The liberty cap large cent was a type of large cent struck by the united states mint from 1793 until 1796, when it was replaced by the draped bust large cent. The united states large cent was a coin with a face value of 1100 of a united states dollar. To handle and collect the earliest large cents 17931814 is a fascinat ing endeavor for. It appears to have been a little more successful than its precedents, as it was continued into 1797, unlike the previous two issues, which were each issued for less than a year.
One of the main factors that contributes to numerous minor varieties among the oldest of u. Heres a cherry pickers lists of lincoln cent varieties. The coin features an image of the goddess of liberty and her accompanying phrygian cap. This fascinating series has probably been avidly collected longer than any other. You can still find these at coin shows and on ebay. With that said, however, the design of this singlecent coin changed many times throughout its long time in production. The main point of mentioning varieties here is to distinguish one coin of the same date from another and to point towards some major varieties that many collectors of large cent by date. The ans library has levicks book of rubbings of 1793 cents. One of the best books available that has extensive information on the different types and varieties in the united states large cent series is the hand book of united states coins. For other collectors, this type remains to be the easiest federal united states coin that can be obtained with an 18 th century date, making it very popular as such, and always in demand regardless of. It also includes a sixpage update and errata list to keep it current.
The mint created this type of cent in an attempt to satisfy the public objections to the chain cent and wreath cent. The small date varieties will cost considerably more than the large date if you choose to pursue them. Jul 07, 2015 this is a good book if you are looking for general history of minting as it relates to the half cent and large cent and detailed information on those two coin types. Scarcity is a leading factor in american large cent values. Turnaround time is not guaranteed but we will make every effort to return the order in the time specified. There were multiple varieties of the 1807 draped bust large cent penny. A guide book of half cents and large cents, 1st edition the. These two photos show doubling to the 5 and the second 1 in the date of an 1851 large cent that we have listed as 1851 1. As far as the coins design is concerned, the large cent always kept things simple. These would include varieties like the 1960 lincoln cents with large dates and small dates, the 1979s and 1981s proof lincoln cents with different mint mark styles, etc. These large coins, made of nearly pure copper, were produced in several varieties. Unlike todays pennies, these large single cent coins were closer in size to a modern halfdollar. Today it is called a large cent by coin collectors because compared to our modern day penny, it is huge. Nakedeye or red book varieties of general interest include large and small dates of 1840 and 1842, and multiple obversereverse combinations for 1843.
The braided hair large cent value tends to begin an increase in ef40 extremely fine and au about uncirculated they really take off. Large cents have now come to be known as pennies, but when they were first produced this name was as foreign as the coin itself. As one of the first styles of coin produced by the us mint, the large cent was determined by congress to have a face value of 1100 th of a dollar. The value depends on what condition the coin is in and what. This is a good book if you are looking for general history of minting as it relates to the halfcent and large cent and detailed information on those two coin types. The first official mintage of the large cent was in 1793, and its production continued until 1857, when it was officially replaced by the modernsize onecent coin commonly called the penny large cents were made of nearly pure copper, or copper as. Jan 27, 2016 the main point of mentioning varieties here is to distinguish one coin of the same date from another and to point towards some major varieties that many collectors of large cent by date. The initial designs, which can be found on large cents minted in 1793, was very simplistic in its design. This page may contain affiliate links for which we receive a commission. The final cent subtype introduced during 1839 featured this style known as the petite head. In particular, this version of the book is quite obviously a reprint of the original material.