Numismatic

1850 Large Cent Good

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In the mid-nineteenth century, American pocket change looked vastly different than it does today. This 1850 copper coin represents the Braided Hair Large Cent series, a design minted from 1839 to 1857. Struck at the Philadelphia Mint, this substantial copper piece carried a denomination of one cent, yet its physical presence far exceeds the modern penny. The obverse of the coin features a classic profile of Liberty, her hair neatly braided and secured, encircled by thirteen stars representing the original colonies. Below the portrait, the year 1850 is clearly struck. On the reverse, the words ONE CENT are nestled inside a delicate wreath, which is itself surrounded by the inscription UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. This particular coin survives in Good condition, showing the honest wear of a piece of currency that actively circulated through the daily commerce of pre-Civil War America.