Large cents are great coins to collect. It had been popular as a collector’s item in the 1880s and its rich history makes it a favorite among the old and young coin collectors. The large cent issued around 1793 and even before it had problems affecting its production which made it more interesting.
Fresh from achieving independence from British rule, the United States had to settle with any kind of material for the large cent. Metals from roofs, nails, even those recovered from shipwrecks were used to forge the first large cents.
Planchets, which were blanks used to mint the coins, were either too soft or had impurities that result to very poor coins. The large cents that were produced back then were uneven in shape and size, some had cracks or the figures in them were distorted. Because the copper used were from old materials, the coins corroded easily and some of them would be severely bent or can even crack into two pieces.
It was also hard to determine the exact copper content of the large cent and most of them have other properties mixed in. In 1836, the US Mint started using steam press which improved the quality of the coin as well regulated its copper content. Large cents have thus become a piece of history in our pockets.
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Auctions in eBay
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| 1852 Large Penny | |
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$10.51 (8 Bids) Time Remaining: 51m |
| 1853 Braided Hair Large Cent VF | |
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$24.95 Time Remaining: 26d 14h 20m Buy It Now for only: $24.95 Buy It Now | Add to watch list |
| RARE 1840 US Braided Hair Large Cent 1C 001 Penny A | |
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$10.50 (6 Bids) Time Remaining: 53m |
| 1808 Large Cent | |
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$33.00 Time Remaining: 56m Buy It Now for only: $37.00 Buy It Now | Bid now | Add to watch list |
| 1831 CORONET HEAD LARGE CENT 4819 | |
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$25.99 Time Remaining: 26d 18h 53m Buy It Now for only: $25.99 Buy It Now | Add to watch list |
| 1810 Large Cent | |
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$19.95 Time Remaining: 57m Buy It Now for only: $21.95 Buy It Now | Bid now | Add to watch list |
| 1817 Fifteen Stars Large Cent | |
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$18.00 Time Remaining: 1h 1m Buy It Now for only: $19.95 Buy It Now | Bid now | Add to watch list |
| 1840 Large Date Large Cent | |
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$19.95 Time Remaining: 1h 2m Buy It Now for only: $21.95 Buy It Now | Bid now | Add to watch list |
| 1828 Large Date Liberty Head Cent XF Details | |
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$139.00 Time Remaining: 27d 7h 17m Buy It Now for only: $139.00 Buy It Now | Add to watch list |
| large cent 1853 Beauty GOOD COIN | |
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$45.00 Time Remaining: 1h 13m |
| 1803 Draped Bust Large Cent | |
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$5.99 (1 Bid) Time Remaining: 1h 28m |
| 1840 Large Date variety Large Cent AU e367 | |
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$150.00 Time Remaining: 28d 13h 38m Buy It Now for only: $150.00 Buy It Now | Add to watch list |
| RARE 1840 US Braided Hair Large Cent 1C 001 Penny B | |
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$7.00 (2 Bids) Time Remaining: 1h 38m |
| 1816 Coronet LARGE CENT | |
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$8.50 (4 Bids) Time Remaining: 1h 43m |
| RARE 1842 US Braided Hair Large Cent 1C 001 Penny A | |
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$6.50 (2 Bids) Time Remaining: 1h 43m |
| 1819 MATRON HEAD LARGE CENT INV 5636 | |
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$49.00 Time Remaining: 2d 8h 1m Buy It Now for only: $49.00 Buy It Now | Add to watch list |
| RARE 1842 US Braided Hair Large Cent 1C 001 Penny B | |
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$5.99 Time Remaining: 1h 44m |
| RARE 1843 US Braided Hair Large Cent 1C 001 Penny | |
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$33.50 (17 Bids) Time Remaining: 2h 18m |
| 1837 Coronet Head Large Cent XF light surface pitting AA HX 10 | |
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$55.00 Time Remaining: 27d 41m Buy It Now for only: $55.00 Buy It Now | Add to watch list |
| RARE 1845 US Braided Hair Large Cent 1C 001 Penny A | |
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$10.27 (4 Bids) Time Remaining: 2h 20m |