A showcase for small cents
This page contains information on:
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Introduction
Coin collecting is a popular hobby, and is becomming even more popular every day. People aquire coins or information pertaining to them for many different and diverse reasons. For the most part though, persons involved in the coin market can typically be divided into three categories: the collector, the hobbyist, and the investor. The collector's interest is limited mainly to the accumulation of interesting coins, possibly with a bit of information about them. The hobbyist, on the other hand, is more interested in a particular type of coin (pennies, for instance) and aspires to obtain every specimen of that coin, or if not every one, at least every coin within a certain time period. The hobbyist loves his coins, and takes pride in his collection, although the collection exists soley for personal pleasure. Taking this one step further is the investor, who collects his coins both for pleasure and their market value. Morgan dollars (or trade dollars), which are traded on the stock market, appeal to the serious investor, while personal collections of semi-precious coins satisfy the cravings of others.
Coins have two sides: the obverse, or front side, and the reverse, or back side. Coins are "graded", which means that they are judged and valued according to their detail. The better preserved (and therefore more detailed) a coin is, the higher its value. In most cases, the purity of the details on the obverse side of a coin are more important to collectors than those on the reverse. Flying Eagle cents have an eagle on the obverse and a laurel wreath on the reverse. Indian Head pennies have an Indian bust on the obverse, with a laurel or oak wreath on the reverse. Lincoln cents have Lincoln's bust on the obverse with either a wheat wreath or the Lincoln Memorial on the reverse.
This page is designed as a value-added resource for the novice collector. The focus of this page is small cents, specifically flying eagles, indian heads, and lincoln cents. Brief descriptions are included for each of the aforementioned coins, with an end section devoted specifically to other coin links around the web. A few coin clubs are also listed for those persons who are looking for non-internet connections to the hobby.
With this in mind, please take a moment to browse this page and its links. Feel free to mail me with suggestions and comments, or ideas for new links. You can reach me at:
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Flying Eagle Cents
Flying Eagle Cents were produced and circulated between 1857 and 1858, although an 1856 coin was designed as a pattern to preview the coin. The 1856 Eagle was produced as a pattern coin to be shown to Congress, and an additional 1,000 to 2,000 coins were struck to sell to collectors. Some of these 1856 coins were placed into circulation during the Civil War. Because of their rarity, 1856 Eagles are prone to cloning. The safest bet is to simply look for 1857 and 1858 Eagles, and leave any potential 1856 "finds" to the experts. Flying Eagle cents have always been popular with collectors, due to their widespread popularity and limited production. There are several varieties of the 1858 coin. It is commonly known for its "large letter", and "small letter" varieties. The "large letter" design is identified by the A and M in AMERICA being joined, while they are separated in the "small letter" variety. Click on the picture above to see a detailed photograph of an 1857 Flying Eagle.
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Indian Head Cents
Indian Head Pennies were first manufactured during 1859, but the obverse was originally Liberty in an Indian headdress, and not a actual Indian. The reverse displayed a laurel wreath, but this was changed to an oak wreath with a shield at the top after one year. Until 1866, when 5-cent nickels were introduced, these coins were commonly refered to as "nickels." Indian Head pennies struck between 1859 and 1864 were made from copper and nickel, which is why they are referred to as copper nickels. In 1864, due to the Civil War, the Government switched to making these coins out of bronze. The obverse design was also changed slightly, now including a sharper portrait and the letter L- for designer James B. Longacre- on the lower ribbon of the headdress. This new design remained unchanged until 1909, when the coin was replaced with the Lincoln cent. Click on the above image to see a detailed photograpgh.
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Lincoln Wheat Cents
This coin, designed by Victor D. Brenner, was issued to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's birth. Brenner's initials, VDB, can be found at the base of the wreath on the reverse on a limited number of coins from 1909. His initials disappeared until 1918, where they can still be found to this day in their new location- on the obverse side, underneath Lincoln's shoulder. The Lincoln cent was the first penny to carry the motto "In God We Trust." When collecting these coins, it is important to look for highly detailed, shiny coins or uncirculated specimens, since weakly struck or discolored coins are worth much less. It is important to note that in 1943, the coins were struck out of steel, and coated with zinc, since there was a shortage of copper due to World War II. A few 1943 coins were accidentally struck on bronze planchets, though, and similarly, some 1944 coins were struck on steel planchets. Wheat cents were produced from 1909 to 1958, after which the reverse was changed to a picture of the Lincoln Memorial.
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Lincoln Memorial Cents
In 1959, the reverse design of the Lincoln cent was changed from a a wreath of wheat to the Lincoln Memorial. This new reverse design was created by Frank Gasparro, and issued to commemorate the 150th anniversry of Lincoln's birth. Click on the above picture to see a detailed photograph. The design has remained relativiely unchanged to this day, although the dies used to cast the coins have been modified on several occasions. In 1969, the dies were modified in order to strengthen the design, and Lincoln's head was made a bit smaller. In 1973, the dies were again modified, and Frank Gasparro's initials on the reverse were made larger, although they were reduced slightly in 1974. In 1982, the dies were further modifed, and Lincoln's bust, the coin's lettering and the date were all slightly reduced in size. In a few years since 1972, some of the coins struck have been stamped twice, resulting in what is know as a double-die. In such coins, doubling of the lettering can be clearly seen with a 10X or higher magnifying glass. Error coins are also highly collectable, and sometimes command higher prices in the coin market. Many error coins can still be found in circulation, so it pays to keep a close eye on your pocket change. Happy hunting!
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This is a brief listing of a few penny related clubs that I have come across in my searching. I urge you to contact any of these clubs for information. A more complete listing of clubs is available on both the Coin Universe and American Numistatic Association webpages. The address for these pages are http://coin-universe.com, and http://www.money.org, respectively. The specific address for the club listings are http://coin-universe.com/library/clubs.html, and http://www.money.org/clublist.html. These are listings of clubs that are affiliated with the pages. Please note that most states have a coin collecting club of some kind.
LINK TO AMERICAN NUMISTATIC ASSOCIATION LISTING
