1839-1857 Braided Hair Large Cent

Braided Hair Large Cent history

The Braided Hair large cent appeared in 1839 as a refinement of the earlier Coronet or Matron Head design. Improvements in Mint technology produced more consistent dies and planchets than were common on earlier large cents, although numerous collectible die varieties still exist. The series continued through 1857. That year Congress ended the large copper cent and introduced the smaller copper-nickel cent, bringing more than six decades of large-cent production to a close.