Coronet large cent

During the War of 1812, a trade embargo was imposed between the United States and England, which had supplied the US Mint with copper planchets.{{Cite web|url=https://classicheadcent.com/|title=Classic Head Large Cents (1808–1814)|access-date=2019-05-03|archive-date=May 1, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190501144741/https://classicheadcent.com/|url-status=live}} The mint's supply was exhausted in 1814, and no Classic Head cents were produced dated 1815. It has often been written that no cents at all were struck that year, but coinage did resume in December 1815 using an 1814 or 1816-dated die.{{cite news |last1=Julian |first1=R.W. |title=Matron Head Cents 1816-1835 |work=Numismatic News |volume=71|issue=11 |publisher=Active Interest Media |date=May 3, 2022}}

Once the embargo was lifted and the mint received new planchets, large cent production resumed, this time with a new design of the goddess Liberty by Robert Scot. The design change was made because the Classic Head cents received much criticism.{{cite web |last1=Reynolds |first1=Tom |title=Coronet cents (1816–1857) |url=https://earlycoppers.com/large-cents/#:~:text=Henry%20Voigt%E2%80%99s%20design%20was%20almost%20universally%20criticized%20in,its%20own%20equipment%20and%20premises.%2036%2C103%20were%20minted. |website=earlycoppers.com |access-date=2 May 2025}}

In 1823, only proof cents were produced during the calendar year, all others were made in 1824 using back-dated dies.{{cite news |last1=Julian |first1=R.W. |title=U.S. Mint Reports and Coinage |issue=Numismatic News |publisher=Active Interest Media |date=May 24, 2022}}

The new cents, known as Matron Head cents, were not much better, however, and numismatist Walter Breen called the design "a spectacularly ugly head of Ms. Liberty".{{Cite web|url=https://coronetheadcent.com/|title=Coronet Head Large Cents (1816-1839)|access-date=2019-05-03|archive-date=May 3, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190503144833/https://coronetheadcent.com/|url-status=live}} In 1836, Christian Gobrecht made several modifications to the design, giving the bust of Liberty a younger appearance.

Gobrecht made further changes in 1839, creating the "Petite Head" Braided Hair cent. In 1843, the bust was enlarged and tilted upward, this design is known as the "Mature Head".

{{Main|Ring cent|Flying Eagle cent}}

File:1868 nickel dime pattern.jpg

The price of copper rose dramatically in the late-1840s, and the cost of producing large cents rose as a result. The US Mint started seeking an alternative that used less copper. The first attempt was to perforate the coin, resulting in the ring cents of 1850 and 1851. The standard composition of these coins was billon, an alloy of 90% copper and 10% silver. This coin was not placed into production as it was expensive to extract the silver from the alloy, and the coins were difficult to eject from the dies. Additionally, a drop in the price of copper temporarily eliminated the need to replace the large cent.

The price of copper rose again in the mid-1850s, and the mint again looked for an alternative cent. This time, the cent was reduced in size, only a little larger than a dime. Patterns for the Flying Eagle cent were struck in 1854, and proved to be a suitable replacement for the large cent. The small cent was approved for production in 1856, and several thousand 1856 Flying Eagle cents were sold to collectors. Full-scale production commenced in mid-1857, replacing the large cent last struck earlier that year.{{Cite web|url=https://flyingeaglecent.com/1857-flying-eagle-cent/|title=1857 Flying Eagle Cent|date=July 20, 2009|language=en-US|access-date=2019-05-03|archive-date=May 3, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190503151702/https://flyingeaglecent.com/1857-flying-eagle-cent/|url-status=live}}

In 1868, eleven years after the last large cent was produced, a mint employee struck around a dozen and a half large cents dated 1868. These coins were struck in both copper and nickel planchets.{{Cite web|url=http://uspatterns.com/j610p675.html|title=J610/P675|website=uspatterns.com|access-date=2019-05-03|archive-date=November 3, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191103042448/http://www.uspatterns.com/j610p675.html|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|url=http://uspatterns.com/j611p676.html|title=J611/P676|website=uspatterns.com|access-date=2019-05-03|archive-date=August 3, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190803033245/http://www.uspatterns.com/j611p676.html|url-status=live}} Also produced that year were about 2 dozen dime patterns were minted in nickel with the obverse die of the 1868 large cent, plus an additional 2 dozen pieces struck in copper.{{Cite web|url=http://uspatterns.com/j647.html|title=J647/P720|website=uspatterns.com|access-date=2019-05-10|archive-date=May 10, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190510134307/http://uspatterns.com/j647.html|url-status=live}}

• Silver center cent
• Chain cent
• Wreath cent
• Liberty Cap large cent
• Draped Bust
• Indian Head cent
• Lincoln cent

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Category:1816 introductions

Category:Coins of the United States

Category:Historical currencies of the United States

Category:One-cent coins of the United States

Category:Goddess of Liberty on coins