Designed by: Christian Gobrecht
Issue Dates: 1835-1839
Composition: Copper
Diameter: 27.5 mm
Weight: 10.88 grams (168 grains)
Edge: Plain
Proof Mintage: Fewer than 100

Cents of the 1837-1839 years, conveniently grouped under the ''Matron Head Modified" heading, actually consist of a number of obverse styles. All have in common the head of Miss Liberty facing left, her hair tied in a bun, with tresses hanging to her neck, and with the word LIBERTY on a diadem or coronet. Thirteen stars surround, and the date is below. Typically, the reverse displays a continuous wreath with ribbon at the bottom, enclosing ONE CENT and with UNITED STATES OF AMERICA surrounding. Variations of the era are usually catalogued by the obverse and include such styles as 1837 and 1838 with "Head of 1838;' with beaded cords holding the hair bun; the 1839 "Silly Head;' and the 1839 "Booby Head:' The 1839/6 overdate, with plain hair cords, is part of the earlier listed 1816-1837 style.

Examples are available in all grades of various issues, the commonest being 1838, with Very Good to Very Fine being the most often seen. Extremely Fine coins are readily available, as are AU pieces. Uncirculated coins are more often seen for 1837 and 1838 than for 1839. For all years, superb Uncirculated pieces are rare. The sharpness of striking varies from issue to issue, but with some patience it is possible to acquire specimens with reasonably good definition of the stars and wreath.

Further Reading

The year 1835 saw several variations in the head of Miss Liberty as different hubs were tried out. The so-called Head of 1836, featured a slimmer neck truncation and a more pleasing aspect than the earlier issues. This was continued in use for several years. In 1837 the cord tying the bun at the back of Miss Liberty's hair was modified to a string of beads. Both plain hair cord and beaded hair cord varieties exist for that year.

The year 1839 is an interesting one for large cents. At that time the well-known 1839/6 overdate was produced. This overdate is of exceptional interest, for it represents the over-dating of a die made in 1836, at which time the head of Miss Liberty was of a different style (with plain hair cord), entirely different than the dies used in 1839 (with beaded hair cord). So, the 1839/6 is not the same design as the other 1839 issues!

Sometimes researchers, even the best of them, overlook the obvious. Howard R. Newcomb apparently slipped a gear when he stated concerning the 1839/6: "This variety has long been called the overdate, resembling a figure 9 engraved over a 6. This is an error as a die crack connects the loop with the ball." Although he specifically mentioned that the issue was of the type of 1836 with plain hair cords, he did not pursue the logic to the overdate connection. Indeed, he refuted the overdate. In the 1920s, George H. Clapp, one of the leading cent collectors of the time, considered his matched set of three different die states (with different degrees of an obverse die-break) of the 1839/ 6 cent to be a highlight of his magnificent collection.

The well-known Booby Head and Silly Head varieties are eagerly collected, in part because of the interesting names given to them. The origin of these designations is not known to me. I do know, however, that they were used well over a century ago in numismatic catalogue descriptions. The Silly Head and Booby Head pieces are from different hubs and feature Miss Liberty with slightly variant styling.

Of large cents from the 1830s, specimens are available in all grades including Uncirculated. The latter state is elusive among cents of the first several years, but pieces of 1837 and 1838 are encountered with some frequency and usually possess glossy brown surfaces.