Two-Cent Piece Values & Mintages
Introduced during the Civil War coin shortage, the two-cent piece was the first US coin to carry the motto IN GOD WE TRUST.
- Years
- 1864–1873
- Issues listed
- 20
- Lowest mintage
- 65K
- Diameter
- 23 mm
Original illustration. Tap to flip.
Demand faded quickly once the nickel arrived and production ended in 1873, a year struck only as proofs.
Designer: James B. Longacre.
Key dates: lowest mintages
See all 20 →Every Two-Cent Piece by year and mint
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| Owned✓ | Coin | Year | Mint | Mintage | Type | Silver |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1864 Two-Cent Piece | 1864 | None | 19,822,500 | Circulation strike | – | |
| 1864 Two-Cent Piece Proof | 1864 | None | 100 | Proof | – | |
| 1865 Two-Cent Piece | 1865 | None | 13,640,000 | Circulation strike | – | |
| 1865 Two-Cent Piece Proof | 1865 | None | 500 | Proof | – | |
| 1866 Two-Cent Piece | 1866 | None | 3,177,000 | Circulation strike | – | |
| 1866 Two-Cent Piece Proof | 1866 | None | 725 | Proof | – | |
| 1867 Two-Cent Piece | 1867 | None | 2,938,750 | Circulation strike | – | |
| 1867 Two-Cent Piece Proof | 1867 | None | 625 | Proof | – | |
| 1868 Two-Cent Piece | 1868 | None | 2,803,750 | Circulation strike | – | |
| 1868 Two-Cent Piece Proof | 1868 | None | 600 | Proof | – | |
| 1869 Two-Cent Piece | 1869 | None | 1,546,500 | Circulation strike | – | |
| 1869 Two-Cent Piece Proof | 1869 | None | 600 | Proof | – | |
| 1870 Two-Cent Piece | 1870 | None | 861,250 | Circulation strike | – | |
| 1870 Two-Cent Piece Proof | 1870 | None | 1,000 | Proof | – | |
| 1871 Two-Cent Piece | 1871 | None | 721,250 | Circulation strike | – | |
| 1871 Two-Cent Piece Proof | 1871 | None | 960 | Proof | – | |
| 1872 Two-Cent Piece | 1872 | None | 65,000 | Circulation strike | – | |
| 1872 Two-Cent Piece Proof | 1872 | None | 950 | Proof | – | |
| 1873 Two-Cent Piece Proof (Closed 3) | 1873 | None | 500 | Proof | – | |
| 1873 Two-Cent Piece Proof (Open 3) | 1873 | None | 600 | Proof | – |
Composition by year
| Years | Metal | Weight | Silver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1864–1873 | 95% copper, 5% tin and zinc (bronze) | 6.22 g | – |
Mint mark location
1864–1873: No mint mark. All two-cent pieces were struck in Philadelphia.
Grading tips
Check the word WE on the motto ribbon and the leaves around the shield. Full red copper is rare.
The coin shortage of the Civil War
By 1862 Americans had pulled almost every coin out of circulation. Gold and silver disappeared first, followed by the copper-nickel cent, as people hoarded hard money against an uncertain future. Merchants filled the gap with privately made bronze tokens, many the size of a cent, carrying advertisements or patriotic slogans. Millions were made and they showed that people would accept a coin made of cheap bronze.
The Act of April 22, 1864 responded by making the cent a lighter bronze coin and creating a bronze two-cent piece. A further law that year outlawed private one-cent and two-cent tokens.
How IN GOD WE TRUST was chosen
In 1861 the Reverend Mark R. Watkinson of Pennsylvania wrote to Treasury Secretary Salmon P. Chase urging that American coins acknowledge God. Chase asked Mint Director James Pollock to prepare a suitable motto. Pollock tried several, including OUR COUNTRY OUR GOD and GOD OUR TRUST, on pattern coins. The final wording IN GOD WE TRUST was chosen for the two-cent piece and placed on a ribbon above the shield. It spread to other coins over the following years.
Design details
Longacre's obverse shows a shield with crossed arrows behind it and a laurel wreath around the sides, similar to the shield later used on the nickel. The reverse has a wreath of wheat around the words 2 CENTS. The series includes the 1864 Large Motto and Small Motto varieties and a well-known 1867 doubled die obverse with clear doubling on the motto.
The 1873 proofs were struck with a Closed 3 and later restruck with an Open 3. The Open 3 coins are believed to have been made after the coin was abolished, as restrikes for collectors.
Collecting two-cent pieces
A short date set from 1864 to 1872 needs nine business strikes, with the 1872 as the key. Collectors who want the whole run add the proof-only 1873 in one or both forms. Most survivors are brown and many are cleaned. Full red coins are scarce and red-brown coins with original surfaces are often the best value.
Look closely at the word WE on the motto, which wears first on circulated coins. A coin with a clear WE is usually Fine or better. Avoid coins with harsh cleaning, which leaves an unnatural orange color. Skip coins with green spots of corrosion too.
A coin with limited legal tender status
The 1864 law made the bronze two-cent piece legal tender only for small sums, up to twenty cents in a single payment, while the new bronze cent was legal tender up to ten cents. That limit fitted its role as change rather than money for large purchases. Once the nickel arrived in 1866 and hoarded silver began to return, there was little reason left for a two-cent coin and mintages dropped every year until 1872.
Frequently asked questions
What is the rarest Two-Cent Piece?
By mintage, the scarcest regular circulation issue is the 1872 Two-Cent Piece with 65,000 struck, followed by the 1871 Two-Cent Piece (721,250). Survival rates and condition also matter: some higher-mintage dates are scarce in top grades.
Are Two-Cent Pieces silver?
1864–1873: 95% copper, 5% tin and zinc (bronze).
Where is the mint mark on a Two-Cent Piece?
1864–1873: No mint mark. All two-cent pieces were struck in Philadelphia.
How many Two-Cent Pieces were made?
About 45,576,000 for circulation across 9 date and mint combinations, from 19,822,500 for the 1864 Two-Cent Piece down to 65,000 for the 1872 Two-Cent Piece.
Who designed the Two-Cent Piece?
James B. Longacre.
Which coin first had IN GOD WE TRUST?
The two-cent piece of 1864 was the first US coin to carry the motto. It was added to other coins in the following years.
Why was the two-cent piece discontinued?
Once the bronze cent and the nickel circulated freely, there was little need for it. The Coinage Act of 1873 ended the denomination.
Other odd denominations
Mintages from Wikipedia's US Mint-sourced tables (CC BY-SA 4.0). Specifications from US Mint records. All sources.