View All 1864 Two Cent Piece

1864 Two Cent Piece - Small Motto

Strike Type
1864 (P) Two Cent coin

Coin Details

Year
1864
Denomination
Two Cent
Mint Mark
P
Strike Type
Regular Strike
Series
Two Cent Pieces 1864-1873
Designer
James Barton Longacre
Mintage (whole issue)
19,847,500
Composition
Bronze
Weight
6.22g
Diameter
23mm
Edge
Plain

Value Estimates

$25 - $217

Values as of May 2026, from published price guides and, in some cases, recorded auction sales. For most coins the range runs from a well-worn example (around G-4) to an uncirculated one, but individual coins can sell for more or less depending on grade, eye appeal and demand. Compare recent sales of similar coins for a closer estimate.

Auction Record

Price realized
$5,288
Sold
Grade
MS66
Auction house
Heritage Auctions

Description

The 1864 Two Cent Piece - Small Motto is a two-cent piece minted at the Philadelphia Mint, within the Two Cent Pieces 1864-1873 series. The U.S. Mint's figure of 19.8 million is every 1864 two-cent piece; the Small Motto coins are an unrecorded part of that total. Julian's recount of the Mint's deliveries gives 19,822,500, against the 19,847,500 the Mint recorded. The obverse features a shield with a banner inscribed IN GOD WE TRUST — the first U.S. coin to bear this motto and the reverse displays a wreath enclosing 2 CENTS. First year of the denomination and the first U.S. coin to bear IN GOD WE TRUST. The Small Motto coins, with smaller letters in the motto, came first, from a prototype die; NGC puts them at several thousand. Struck in bronze, weighing 6.22 grams, 23 mm in diameter, with a plain edge. Cataloged as PCGS #3579.

External References

Error Varieties(5)

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