1846 Braided Hair Coronet Head Cent Base
Base
About This Coin
The 1846 Braided Hair Coronet Head Cent Base is a United States cent from the Braided Hair Coronet Head Cents 1839-1857 series — 8th of 19 years in the series. In 1846, coins were struck at the Philadelphia Mint with a combined mintage of 12.4 million. This ranks 17th of 19 years by total mintage, above the series median of 5.2 million. The obverse features Liberty facing left with braided hair swept up and held by a beaded cord, wearing a headband inscribed LIBERTY and the reverse displays a wreath enclosing ONE CENT. Small Date, Medium Date, and Tall Date varieties. Higher mintage year. Struck in copper, weighing 10.89 grams, 27.5 mm in diameter, with a plain edge. Collectors have cataloged 12 known die varieties for this date. Produced 7 years after the celebrated 1839 key date. Across its variants, estimated values range from $30 to $1.4K depending on mint mark, grade, and strike type. A notable auction result reached $31K in PR65 grade at Heritage Auctions. Designed by Christian Gobrecht.
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.
Specifications
Strike Types & Varieties(6)
1846 Braided Hair Coronet Head Cent - Medium Date
1846 Braided Hair Coronet Head Cent - Proof Small Date
1846 Braided Hair Coronet Head Cent - Proof Tall Date
1846 Braided Hair Coronet Head Cent - Small Date
1846 Braided Hair Coronet Head Cent - Tall Date
1846 Proof Braided Hair Coronet Head Cent
Other Base Coins in This Series
1839 Braided Hair Coronet Head Cent Base
1 strike type
1840 Braided Hair Coronet Head Cent Base
4 strike types
1841 Braided Hair Coronet Head Cent Base
2 strike types
1842 Braided Hair Coronet Head Cent Base
4 strike types
1843 Braided Hair Coronet Head Cent Base
4 strike types
1844 Braided Hair Coronet Head Cent Base
6 strike types
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