Large Cents

Cents and half cents were the first coins struck for circulation under the authority of the United States government. Coinage began in 1793 with laws specifying that the cent should weigh exactly twice as much as the half cent. Large cents were coined every year from 1793 to 1857 with the excception of 1815, when a lack of copper prevented production. All were coined at the Philadelphia Mint. Mintage records in some cases may be inaccurate, as many of the early pieces were struck later than the dates shown on the coins. Varieties listed are those most significant to collectors. Numerous other die varieties may be found because each of the early dies was individually made . . . Proof large cents were first made in 1817; all Proofs are rare, as they were not made available to the general public before the mid-1850s. -- Red Book (2008)