Braided Hair Large Cent Values & Mintages
Christian Gobrecht's Braided Hair cent was the last of the large cents. Liberty's hair is gathered in a bun with a beaded cord and the coin was struck in very large numbers in the 1840s and 1850s.
- Years
- 1839–1857
- Issues listed
- 39
- Lowest mintage
- 200K
- Diameter
- 27.5 mm
Original illustration. Tap to flip.
Rising copper costs made the large cent unprofitable and it was replaced in 1857 by the small Flying Eagle cent. Large cents dated 1868 are patterns, struck in small numbers long after the series ended.
Designer: Christian Gobrecht.
Key dates: lowest mintages
See all 39 →Every Braided Hair Large Cent by year and mint
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Composition by year
| Years | Metal | Weight | Silver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1839–1868 | 100% copper | 10.89 g | – |
Mint mark location
1839–1868: No mint mark. All struck in Philadelphia.
Grading tips
Wear appears on the hair cords and the curls behind the ear. Because mintages were high, condition and eye appeal decide value for most dates.
From Booby Head to Braided Hair in 1839
The year 1839 saw several portrait changes on the cent. Coronet cents of that year include the Silly Head and Booby Head varieties, named for their awkward modifications. Late in the year Gobrecht's new Braided Hair design arrived. Its first version, the Petite Head, ran until 1843. That year a larger Mature Head replaced it and lasted to the end of the series, so 1843 cents come in both forms along with a mixed version pairing the Petite Head with the larger reverse lettering.
Newcomb numbers and misplaced dates
Specialists attribute these cents by Newcomb numbers, from Howard R. Newcomb's reference on cents of 1816 to 1857. Many varieties come from date punches placed by hand. On the 1844/81 and 1851/81 cents, an engraver started the date upside down or in the wrong spot, leaving parts of extra digits visible. The final 1857 cents exist with a Large Date and a Small Date. Most Braided Hair cents can be found affordably, which makes them a good place to learn variety attribution before moving to earlier coppers.
Frequently asked questions
What is the rarest Braided Hair Large Cent?
By mintage, the scarcest regular circulation issue is the 1839 Braided Hair Large Cent with 200,000 struck, followed by the 1857 Braided Hair Large Cent (333,456). Survival rates and condition also matter: some higher-mintage dates are scarce in top grades.
Are Braided Hair Large Cents silver?
1839–1868: 100% copper.
Where is the mint mark on a Braided Hair Large Cent?
1839–1868: No mint mark. All struck in Philadelphia.
How many Braided Hair Large Cents were made?
About 71,116,803 for circulation across 19 date and mint combinations, from 9,889,707 for the 1851 Braided Hair Large Cent down to 200,000 for the 1839 Braided Hair Large Cent.
Who designed the Braided Hair Large Cent?
Christian Gobrecht.
What is a Newcomb number?
It is a variety number from Howard R. Newcomb's standard reference on large cents of 1816 to 1857, used to identify each die combination.
What is the 1844/81 large cent?
It is a misplaced date variety where traces of an incorrectly punched date appear under the 1844, often read as 81.
Other cents
Flowing Hair Large Cent
1793 · 2 issues
Liberty Cap Large Cent
1793–1796 · 6 issues
Draped Bust Large Cent
1796–1807 · 13 issues
Classic Head Large Cent
1808–1815 · 8 issues
Coronet (Matron Head) Large Cent
1816–1839 · 49 issues
Flying Eagle Cent
1856–1858 · 7 issues
Indian Head Cent
1859–1909 · 108 issues
Lincoln Wheat Cent
1909–1958 · 178 issues
Lincoln Memorial Cent
1959–2008 · 166 issues
Lincoln Bicentennial Cent
2009 · 20 issues
Lincoln Shield Cent
2010–present · 52 issues
Mintages from Wikipedia's US Mint-sourced tables (CC BY-SA 4.0). Specifications from US Mint records. All sources.