1822 Coronet (Matron Head) Large Cent Proof
Proof struck at the Philadelphia Mint · 12 made
- Mintage
- 12
- Metal
- 100% copper
- Weight
- 10.89 g
- Diameter
- 28–29 mm
Original illustration. Tap to flip. Not a photograph of the actual coin.
Face value · Metal value · Small premium · Collector premium · Significant rarity. We use bands because prices change daily.
What is an 1822 Coronet (Matron Head) Large Cent Proof worth?
This is one of the dates collectors hunt for. A genuine 1822 is valuable in any condition, even well worn. That's exactly why fakes and altered coins turn up so often.
What would make yours worth more:
- Grade and, for proofs, strong cameo contrast
- A die variety or minting error
- Certification by PCGS or NGC, which buyers expect for scarce dates
For market prices, check recent sold results for certified coins in the same grade.
Quick answers
- Is the 1822 Coronet (Matron Head) Large Cent Proof rare?
- Fairly. The Mint made 12 for collectors. Most were kept in their original packaging.
- Where is the mint mark on an 1822 Coronet (Matron Head) Large Cent?
- No mint mark. All struck in Philadelphia.
- How many 1822 Coronet (Matron Head) Large Cent proofs were made?
- 12.
What to check on your 1822
- There's no mint mark on this one, so the date and condition are what matter.
- Judge the grade under good light. Wear first shows on the hair curls, the coronet and the leaves of the wreath. Mint-red coins exist from hoards, but most survivors are brown.
Most surviving coppers from 1822 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. Proofs from 1822 were struck one at a time in small numbers and many were later spent or mishandled. Look for hairlines from cleaning, which lower the grade.
The story of the 1822
Scarce dates of the early 1820s (1821 to 1827)
Production dropped sharply in 1821 to only 389,000, in the slow economy that followed the Panic of 1819, making 1821 one of the harder dates of the type in higher grades. Output recovered to more than 2 million in 1822, yet the Mint reported no separate figure for 1823. Cents of that date are scarce. Both the 1823 and the 1823/2 overdate are considered keys.
Watch for restrikes: a discarded 1823 obverse die was later used outside the Mint to strike unofficial pieces, so an 1823 needs careful attribution before it is treated as an original. Overdates continue with the 1824/2 and the 1826/5, created when the Mint updated old dies instead of making new ones. By 1827 annual output passed 2.3 million again. Survivors from this period range widely in quality, but many show even wear and the medium brown color typical of the Coronet type.
How to recognize it
Liberty faces left wearing a coronet inscribed LIBERTY, with 13 stars around her and the date below. Collectors call the early version the Matron Head because of her mature features. The reverse is a continuous wreath around ONE CENT with UNITED STATES OF AMERICA around the rim. Later dates use a slightly younger portrait and finer details.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Series | Coronet (Matron Head) Large Cent (1816–1839) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1822 |
| Mint | Philadelphia Mint |
| Mint mark | None |
| Strike type | Proof |
| Mintage | 12 |
| Face value | 1¢ |
| Composition | 100% copper |
| Weight | 10.89 grams |
| Diameter | 28–29 mm |
| Edge | Plain |
| Designer | Robert Scot |
Other 1822 Coronet (Matron Head) Large Cent issues
| Coin | Mintage | Type | Silver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1822 Coronet (Matron Head) Large Cent | 2,072,339 | Circulation strike | – |
| 1822 Coronet (Matron Head) Large Cent Proof | 12 | Proof | – |
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.