1857 Braided Hair Coronet Head Cent Base

About This Coin

The 1857 Braided Hair Coronet Head Cent Base is a United States cent from the Braided Hair Coronet Head Cents 1839-1857 series. The obverse features Liberty facing left with braided hair swept up and held by a beaded cord, wearing a headband inscribed LIBERTY, while the reverse displays a wreath enclosing ONE CENT. Designed by Christian Gobrecht. Struck in copper, weighing 10.89 grams, 27.5 mm in diameter, with a plain edge. The Braided Hair design was the final iteration of the large cent before the denomination was made smaller in 1857. As copper prices rose, the large cent became too expensive to produce relative to its face value. The final large cent type. Proof-only dates exist from 1840-1857. The series saw declining production as the Mint prepared for the transition to small cents.