The 1852 Braided Hair Cent This Large Cent coin is the 1852 Braided Hair Cent and was designed by Christian Gobrecht, the third Chief Engraver of the United States Mint. Braided Hair Cents (also known as Late Dates Cents) were minted 1839 to 1857.
Cents were the first coins to be made for circulation in the USA and Large cents were minted from 1793 until 1857 (except for 1815 due to a copper shortage). Diameter was around 26-27mm.
All the early dies were hand made leading to a large number of varieties (mainly based around head and font variation) and this makes for some excellent collecting opportunities. Proofs were made but they are all rare and expensive. By 1857 the price of copper was making these coins costly to manufacture. The half-cent was dropped and the Flying Eagle Cent introduced the small cent to America, ending the reign of the large cent.
The Obverse shows an image of Liberty, with 13 stars around (the number of States at the time) and date below.
The Reverse shows a wreath with berries enclosing the denomination "ONE CENT". Around is the legend "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA".Image credit: Mountain View Coins
Mintage: 5,000,000 (may include coins in sets)
Minted at US Mint - Philadelphia
Minted in 1852. See Coins and Events of 1852
Category: USA Cents. See more USA Cents coins
Country of Origin: United States of America
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