1864 Large Motto

The 1864 Large Motto two-cent piece is the standard issue for the first year of the denomination. The Large Motto uses taller, more prominent lettering in the IN GOD WE TRUST inscription across the ribbon at the top of the obverse shield. The change from the smaller Small Motto variety was made early in production, after the Mint decided the initial lettering was too cramped to read clearly at the small scale. The Large Motto accounts for the vast majority of the year's 19.8 million mintage.

The two-cent piece was Congress's answer to a practical problem. The Civil War had driven coin hoarding to crisis levels. Silver and gold had disappeared from circulation entirely. Even the copper-nickel cent was being hoarded. The Mint needed denominations that would actually stay in circulation, and the two-cent piece, struck in bronze (95% copper, 5% tin and zinc), was designed to be unattractive to hoarders while still providing useful change. The idea worked initially. The coins entered circulation and were spent, filling a gap that fractional currency notes and postage stamps had been awkwardly covering.

Longacre's design is dense for such a small coin. The obverse federal shield is surrounded by rays in early die states and by a simpler field in later states. Arrows project from behind the shield; an olive branch drapes below. The ribbon carrying IN GOD WE TRUST crosses the top of the shield. The reverse shows a wreath of wheat enclosing 2 CENTS and the denomination at the bottom.

For type collectors, the 1864 Large Motto is the practical choice for representing the two-cent piece in a single-coin type set. The high mintage makes it readily available in circulated grades, and Uncirculated examples with red or red-brown surfaces can be found with some searching. The coin's historical weight as the first IN GOD WE TRUST issue adds interest beyond its market price.