Posts Tagged ‘braided hair’

Braided Hair Large Cents where not popular during their circulation period, but as the years went buy, and the discoveries of the different types and varieties, their popularity has increased.  This Large Cents series was minted from 1839-1857 and showcases several popular varieties like the “Petite Head”, and “Mature Head”, among many large dates, small dates and slanted date numbers.

One of the more difficult aspects of collecting Braided Hair Cents, is finding them in problem free condition. Copper is a very reactive metal, and the planchets used for these coins where often of poor quality, and it’s common to find many if these coins with pitting, corrosion or environmental damage. When these coins where minted, very few collectors even considered a proper method of storing these coins, and most people didn’t care enough about them to handle them carefully.

Grading is another issue, it’s somtimes difficult to determine there grades do to poor strikes and planchets, and numerous varieites that call for slightly different grading markers. This is the reason I put together a picture grading guide for these Large Cents, so anyone can use the pictures of each grade to help them grade the coins they own or want to buy online. Click here for more

United States Pattern coins are varied and diverse, with mismatched designs and denominations, but display more of the artistic side of the U.S. engravers and mint officials. One cent patterns abound in different designs, like the Annular cent (left), but never made it to circulation status nor lofty mintages.

The Annular Cent is but one example, of the many different proposed designs for a new one cent coin. Furthermore, this created a rare and valuable market, and an alternative market for coin collectors that are not much inspired by the standard designs adopted for American Coinage.

The list of One Cent Patterns doesn’t stop at the Annular Cents, but also includes more familiar alterations of the Indian Cent, Flying Eagle Cent, and Braided Hair types, but also includes other unconventional, and not widely known types like the Shield One Cent, One Cent with the Three Cent Nickel Obverse, and the 1942 Centavo plastic planchet cent, to just name a few.

If you want to know more of these rare patterns, and see pictures, mintages and more information, visit our One Cent Patterns Guides. You will be surprised!