Classic Head Large Cent · Cents

1810 Classic Head Large Cent (Restrike, 3 known)

Variety of the 1810 Classic Head Large Cent struck at an unknown mint · 3 made

Variety / error
Mintage
3
Metal
100% copper
Weight
10.89 g
Diameter
29 mm

Original illustration. Tap to flip. Not a photograph of the actual coin.

Copper content10.89grams
Value band: Significant rarity

Face value · Metal value · Small premium · Collector premium · Significant rarity. We use bands because prices change daily.

What is an 1810 Classic Head Large Cent (Restrike, 3 known) worth?

Value depends entirely on whether the coin is genuine and on its condition. Have any candidate authenticated before you buy or sell.

For market prices, check recent sold results for certified coins in the same grade.

Quick answers

Is the 1810 Classic Head Large Cent (Restrike, 3 known) rare?
Yes. It's a variety or error, not a regular issue. Only about 3 are thought to exist.
Where is the mint mark on an 1810 Classic Head Large Cent?
No mint mark. All struck in Philadelphia.
How many 1810 Classic Head Large Cent (Restrike, 3 known) coins were made?
3.
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What to check on your 1810

  • There's no mint mark on this one, so the date and condition are what matter.
  • Check the date and mint mark under magnification for tooling or added letters. Scarce dates are the ones forgers alter.
  • Old coins pick up damage over a long life. Look for holes, bends, scratches or signs of cleaning before you judge the grade, because a damaged coin sells for a fraction of a problem-free one.
  • Judge the grade under good light. The word LIBERTY on the headband and the hair curls are the key wear points. Surface quality drives price as much as the grade itself.

Most surviving coppers from 1810 show some corrosion, scratches or porous surfaces. Smooth, evenly toned coins are much scarcer than the mintage suggests, so surface quality matters as much as the grade. Low-mintage dates attract altered and counterfeit coins. Check that the date have not been tooled or added, or buy one already certified by PCGS or NGC.

The story of the 1810

John Reich's new head and two low mintage keys (1808 to 1811)

John Reich, hired as assistant engraver in 1807, introduced the Classic Head cent in 1808 with Liberty wearing a band inscribed LIBERTY and a simpler wreath on the reverse. The 1808 has a 12 Stars variety caused by a die flaw that hid one star. The design stayed the same through 1811, but output swung widely as copper supplies came and went.

Two of the scarcest dates in the series fall here. The 1811 is the lowest mintage regular Classic Head at 218,025, with an 1811/0 overdate as well. The 1809 is close behind at 222,867. The 1810 includes an 1810/09 overdate struck from a reworked die. Classic Head copper was often of uneven quality, so many survivors have dark, porous or granular surfaces even when the design is only lightly worn. A smooth, evenly brown example is noticeably harder to find than a sharp one.

Collectors know the Classic Head cents for difficult surfaces. The copper the Mint received in these years was often soft or impure and many coins have darkened, turned porous or corroded. A Classic Head cent with smooth, glossy brown surfaces is much scarcer than its mintage suggests and specialists will often choose an attractive lower-grade coin over a sharper one with rough surfaces. Wear shows first on the curls above the eye and on the LIBERTY band.

How to recognize it

Liberty faces left wearing a band inscribed LIBERTY, surrounded by 13 stars with the date below. The reverse has a simple wreath around ONE CENT with UNITED STATES OF AMERICA around the rim. The fraction 1/100 was dropped. The soft copper of this period often survives dark or porous, so smooth, evenly toned coins stand out.

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Mintage chart

Classic Head Large Cent circulation mintagesLog scale · hover or tap a bar · 1808–1814
100K1M

Specifications

SeriesClassic Head Large Cent (1808–1815)
Year1810
MintUnknown
Mint markNone
Strike typeCirculation strike
Mintage3
Face value1¢
Composition100% copper
Weight10.89 grams
Diameter29 mm
EdgePlain
DesignerJohn Reich

Other 1810 Classic Head Large Cent issues

CoinMintageTypeSilver
1810 Classic Head Large Cent1,458,500Circulation strike–
1810 Classic Head Large Cent (Restrike, 3 known)about 3 knownVariety–
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Mintage: United States cent mintage figures (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from US Mint records and the Guide Book of United States Coins. How we build these pages.