1796

The 1796 Liberty Cap large cent is the final issue of the design, struck in a mintage of 109,825 coins before the Mint transitioned to the Draped Bust type later that year. The Liberty Cap had been in use since Joseph Wright introduced it in 1793, and Robert Scot had continued the design through 1794 and 1795 with modifications to the portrait. By 1796, the design was being retired in favor of a new concept.

The 1796 Liberty Cap is notable as a transitional date. The same year saw the introduction of the Draped Bust large cent, meaning both the old and new designs circulated side by side. A collector looking at 1796 large cents must choose between the Liberty Cap (the ending design) and the Draped Bust (the beginning design), or acquire both to represent the transition year completely.

The mintage of 109,825 is modest, and the 1796 Liberty Cap carries a semi-key premium. Surviving examples are less common than the higher-mintage 1794 and 1795 dates, and finding one in problem-free condition requires effort. Most grade between About Good and Fine, with Very Fine examples being genuinely uncommon. The plain edge standard that had been adopted for large cents by this point means there is no edge variation to consider.

As a final-year issue, the 1796 Liberty Cap appeals to collectors who appreciate design transitions. Paired with a 1793 Liberty Cap cent (the first year), it brackets the entire four-year run of the design in two coins. The Liberty Cap large cent, across all four years, encompasses the Mint's earliest production efforts, three different chief engravers, a yellow fever epidemic, and the gradual professionalization of an institution that was inventing American coinage as it went.