1846 Braided Hair Large Cent Proof
Proof struck at the Philadelphia Mint · 22 made
- Mintage
- 22
- Metal
- 100% copper
- Weight
- 10.89 g
- Diameter
- 27.5 mm
Original illustration. Tap to flip. Not a photograph of the actual coin.
Face value · Metal value · Small premium · Collector premium · Significant rarity. We use bands because prices change daily.
What is an 1846 Braided Hair Large Cent Proof worth?
Few coins in the series are harder to find. Even a worn 1846 sells well above face value. The flip side is that counterfeits and altered dates are common, so authentication matters.
What would make yours worth more:
- Grade and, for proofs, strong cameo contrast
- A die variety or minting error
- Certification by PCGS or NGC, which buyers expect for scarce dates
For market prices, check recent sold results for certified coins in the same grade.
Quick answers
- Is the 1846 Braided Hair Large Cent Proof rare?
- Fairly. The Mint made 22 for collectors. Most were kept in their original packaging.
- Where is the mint mark on an 1846 Braided Hair Large Cent?
- No mint mark. All struck in Philadelphia.
- How many 1846 Braided Hair Large Cent proofs were made?
- 22.
What to check on your 1846
- There's no mint mark on this one, so the date and condition are what matter.
- Judge the grade under good light. 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.
Proofs from 1846 were struck one at a time in small numbers and many were later spent or mishandled. Look for hairlines from cleaning, which lower the grade.
The story of the 1846
Mature Head and rising demand (1844 to 1849)
With the Mature Head in place, the Mint focused on volume. Production grew from 2.4 million in 1844 to more than 6 million in both 1847 and 1848, driven by population growth and expanding retail trade. Working dies now came from a master hub that carried everything but the date, so the portrait is very consistent from year to year, while the hand punched dates still vary.
Several date errors from this era are popular. The 1844/81 shows a date punched upside down and then corrected. The 1846 has a tall date, a medium date and a small date. The 1847 includes a 7 over small 7 repunching. Because so many coins were made, circulated examples are easy to find. These years are a practical choice for a type coin. Many survivors are evenly worn and brown, though some show cleaning or rim nicks from heavy use.
How to recognize it
Liberty faces left with her hair gathered into a bun tied with beaded cords and a coronet reading LIBERTY. Thirteen stars surround her and the date is below. The reverse keeps the wreath around ONE CENT with UNITED STATES OF AMERICA around the rim. These were the last large cents before the coin was ended by law in 1857.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Series | Braided Hair Large Cent (1839–1857) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1846 |
| Mint | Philadelphia Mint |
| Mint mark | None |
| Strike type | Proof |
| Mintage | 22 |
| Face value | 1¢ |
| Composition | 100% copper |
| Weight | 10.89 grams |
| Diameter | 27.5 mm |
| Edge | Plain |
| Designer | Christian Gobrecht |
Other 1846 Braided Hair Large Cent issues
| Coin | Mintage | Type | Silver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1846 Braided Hair Large Cent | 4,120,800 | Circulation strike | – |
| 1846 Braided Hair Large Cent Proof | 22 | Proof | – |
Mintage: United States cent mintage figures (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from US Mint records and the Guide Book of United States Coins. How we build these pages.