1808 Classic Head Cent
Base
About This Coin
The 1808 Classic Head Cent is a United States cent from the Classic Head Cents 1808-1814 series — the first year of the series. In 1808, coins were struck at the Philadelphia Mint with a combined mintage of 1.0 million. This ranks 4th of 7 years by total mintage, at the series median of 1.0 million. The obverse features Liberty facing left wearing a fillet or headband inscribed LIBERTY and the reverse displays a wreath enclosing ONE CENT. First year of the Classic Head Cent. Only 1,007,000 struck, making it a scarce first-year issue. Struck in copper, weighing 10.89 grams, 28 mm in diameter, with a plain edge. Struck one year before the 1809 key date, the lowest-mintage regular issue in the series. Across its variants, estimated values range from $186 to $3.1K depending on mint mark, grade, and strike type. A notable auction result reached $38K in MS67BN grade at Stack's Bowers. Designed by John Reich.
Value Estimates
Values as of May 2026 — range across all strike types, reflecting typical grades (G-4 through MS-63). Coins in lower or exceptional grades may fall outside this range.