1857 Large Date

The 1857 Large Date large cent is the final regular-issue large cent ever produced by the United States Mint. The Coinage Act of February 21, 1857, discontinued the large copper cent along with the half cent, replacing both with the smaller, lighter Flying Eagle cent. The Large Date variety uses the standard-sized numeral punches and accounts for the majority of the 1857 output.

The 1857's total mintage of 333,456 coins was modest, reflecting the denomination's impending discontinuation. Demand for the large cent had been declining for years. The coin was too large for convenient pocket carry, too heavy for its face value, and increasingly redundant in an economy where the smaller cent was ready to take its place.

As the final year, the 1857 Large Date carries terminal-date appeal. Every large cent collection ends here. The coin is available in circulated grades, though pricing is slightly higher than for comparable-mintage dates earlier in the series, driven by the demand that final-year issues always generate. A well-chosen Fine is a satisfying endpoint for a date set that spans 64 years of American coinage history.