Copper Cents were key to US’ economic development and the original Mint Act. The the Mint Act of 1792 established:

1. The US Mint
2. Monetary Decimal System
3. Standard Weights and Measures for all Coins
4. MInt Structure
5. Only the wealthy could work at the Mint….

Here’s part of the bill from the US Archives. Read it, it’s worth your time.

Mint Act of 1792: Page 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 In PDF Format, or Word

Half Cents QuickFacts

The half-cent coin is equal to five one-thousandths of one dollar (.005)
100% copper
About the size of a modern quarter (23.5 millimeters in diameter)
Lowest denomination minted

Flowing Hair 1793, Liberty Cap 1793 -1797, Draped Bust 1800 -1808, Classic Head 1809 – 1836 , Braided Hair 1840 – 1857

Politics and Half Cent Production

The Mint halted production of the coins in 1811 in reaction to decreased demand from banks but resumed again in 1825 when demand returned. Production was suspended completely in 1857.

On a personal note, I started out with the Cohen book on half cents when I was a young collector, but soon realized the Breen book was much better.

Cents

Historical Prices, Cents made sense for commerce

People are shocked at the purchasing power of a penny in 18th and early 19th Century. According to Old Inns and Taverns in West New Jersey. a great dinner with beer (or cider), bread and meat was 37.5 cents. Becareful if you come across food or any other prices during war time, prices always went up.

Large Cent Facts

One one-hundredth of a dollar
28 mm
Minted in Philadelphia 1793 to 1857
6 Design Changes: Flowing Hair Chain Cent, Flowing Hair , Draped Bust , Classic Head , Coronet Head , Braided Hair

Initial Controversy

The first issue, the Chain cent, was modified within its first year of circulation after public outcry over the chain’s connotations of slavery. It was replaced by the Wreath cent the following year. The large one-cent pieces were not especially popular among the public because their large size made them burdensome to carry.

Conversion to Small Diameter

In the middle of the 19th century, the price of metals exceeded face value, much like today. In 1849, by act of Congress, the US Mint began experimenting with smaller sized coins. Several varieties were produced and on February 21, 1857 a new, smaller standard was officially adopted.

Beginning in 1857, the standard diameter for one-cent pieces became 19 millimeters. Coins minted in this period became known as “small cents” or “pennies.” The shift from large to small cents marked an important period in the history of numismatics, as when the US government decided to call in large cents, it unleashed a collecting frenzy and, thereby, inadvertently increased the popularity of the coin-collecting hobby. The first small cents coin designed for production was the Flying Eagle, which was soon followed by the Indian Head cent. During the Civil War, Indian Head cents were hoarded because of their nickel content, at the time a highly valued metal. As the coins were taken out of circulation by the public, private citizens began issuing bronze tokens. These tokens inspired the US Mint to alter the metal composition of the Indian Head coin to a bronze alloy. Bronze Indian Heads were produced from “1864 to 1909”.

For a more detailed history on Flying Eagle and Indian Head cents, see Rick Snow’s A History of Small Cents

In 1909, the Lincoln head design seen on modern one-cent pieces was adopted, marking the first time the likeness of a US President appeared on a coin. The coin was struck to honor the centennial of Lincoln’s birth. Its release was highly anticipated by the public, garnering more attention than the release of any coin had previously. Varieties employing this general design were minted until 1958, when the reverse design was changed to show the Lincoln Memorial. In 2009, the reverse was again redesigned to commemorate the bicentennial of Lincoln’s birth with four different coins depicting various scenes from Lincoln’s life. Beginning in 2010, a Union Shield was placed on the reverse to symbolize Lincoln’s successful preservation of the Union.

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Large and Small Cents At Greatcoins.