Is this well worn large US cent from 1816-39 or 1839-57

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BaltimoreYankee
BaltimoreYankee Posts: 3,265 ✭✭✭✭✭
in U.S. Coin Forum

Hi All,
I'm a sports card collector and don't know much about coins. I have this old large US cent with the date completely worn off.
From 2 minutes of cyber-sleuthing, it seems to be either from 1806-39 or 1839-57. Can anyone tell me which date period this is from and perhaps narrow it down further?

Daniel

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  • Mr_Spud
    Mr_Spud Posts: 7,272 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited March 10, 2024 11:06AM
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    Looks more like my 1838 than my 1844

    Mr_Spud

  • Greenstang
    Greenstang Posts: 1,646 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    1806-1839
    Note the longer bust as opposed to the 1844

  • epc
    epc Posts: 459 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited March 10, 2024 12:16PM
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    1835-1839. This has the "young head" introduced in 1835. And I think you meant to ask about 1816-1839. The older cents had completely different designs.

    Collector of Liberty Seated Half Dimes, including die pairs and die states

  • CRHer700
    CRHer700 Posts: 2,153 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    Definitely 1835-early 1839. The hair above the forehead sticks out on some 1839s and all large cents after that. Observe @MrSpud ’s 1844 and you’ll see what I mean.

    God bless all who believe in him. Do unto others what you expect to be done to you. Dubbed a "Committee Secret Agent" by @mr1931S on 7/23/24. Founding member of CU Anti-Troll League since 9/24/24.

  • lkenefic
    lkenefic Posts: 9,518 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    Looks like either an 1837 or 1838 based on Ms. Liberty's profile...

    Collecting: Dansco 7070; Middle Date Large Cents (VF-AU); Box of 20;

    Successful BST transactions with: SilverEagles92; Ahrensdad; Smitty; GregHansen; Lablade; Mercury10c; copperflopper; whatsup; KISHU1; scrapman1077, crispy, canadanz, smallchange, robkool, Mission16, ranshdow, ibzman350, Fallguy, Collectorcoins, SurfinxHI, jwitten, Walkerguy21D, dsessom.
  • epc
    epc Posts: 459 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited March 10, 2024 1:35PM
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    I believe we can rule out 1838 and 1839. There's not much left of the hair cords, but what is visible looks to me like the plain cords used prior to 1838. One variety of 1839, the N-1, 9/6 overdate, used an obverse that started life as an 1836 die. But the shape of the coronet is distinctive and unlike the OP's photo.

    Collector of Liberty Seated Half Dimes, including die pairs and die states

  • Mr_Spud
    Mr_Spud Posts: 7,272 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    I don’t have a 1837, but I just tried doing an overlay and a side by side and it is a close match to my 1838
    Here’s the overlay where I made the 1838 transparent on top of the worn down one

    And here’s the side by side

    Mr_Spud

  • BaltimoreYankee
    BaltimoreYankee Posts: 3,265 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    Thank you all for the responses. This has been very helpful and educational. I probably bought the coin around 15 years ago just because it was 'old'. Should have gone for one that shows a date. BTW - The cent is a really dark copper - more like brown. It's weird that it looks silver in my scans.

    Daniel
  • epc
    epc Posts: 459 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    The authoritative work on these "middle date" large cents is John Wright's "The Cent Book 1816-1839". It was published in 1992, and John maintains errata you can get from him. (See the Early American Coppers website, eacs.org) The book contains detailed descriptions and good photos of all known die marriages,

    Collector of Liberty Seated Half Dimes, including die pairs and die states

  • CaptHenway
    CaptHenway Posts: 34,168 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    @epc said:
    1835-1839. This has the "young head" introduced in 1835. And I think you meant to ask about 1816-1839. The older cents had completely different designs.

    You are absolutely correct. The large cents of 1816-1857 should really be broken down into THREE groups, 1816-1835, 1835-1839 with many sub-types, and 1839-1857 with two sub-types. However, this was never done because nobody ever thought that they could sell a book that only covered the 1835-1839 sub-types, so they remain tacked onto the end of the 1816-1835 type.

    Professional Numismatist, Retired. 55 year member ANA. Former ANA Senior Authenticator. Winner of four ANA Heath Literary Awards; three Wayte and Olga Raymond Literary Awards; Numismatist of the Year Award 2009, and ANA Lifetime Achievement Award 2020. Winner of the PNG's 2026 Robert Friedberg Award for "The Enigmatic Lincoln Cents of 1922," Available now from Whitman or Amazon.
  • renomedphys
    renomedphys Posts: 4,015 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    @CaptHenway said:

    @epc said:
    1835-1839. This has the "young head" introduced in 1835. And I think you meant to ask about 1816-1839. The older cents had completely different designs.

    You are absolutely correct. The large cents of 1816-1857 should really be broken down into THREE groups, 1816-1835, 1835-1839 with many sub-types, and 1839-1857 with two sub-types. However, this was never done because nobody ever thought that they could sell a book that only covered the 1835-1839 sub-types, so they remain tacked onto the end of the 1816-1835 type.

    What he said. That's why my copper type set currently has 4 coins for "Matron Head", with room for at least one more. I think @Mr_Spud's 1838 above would do just the trick ;)

    Empty Nest Collection

  • MsMorrisine
    MsMorrisine Posts: 40,054 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    many scanners do a horrible job with coins. one issue is lighting and another is many don't get the focal point right.

    chocolate brown is a great, natural color for it.

    like cards, don't adulterate it.

    Current maintainer of Stone's Master List of Favorite Websites // My BST transactions

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