|
The American Small Cent,
what we refer to as a penny is called a small
cent, because it is so much smaller than the earlier
penny called a large
cent. The smaller sized penny was introduced
in 1857. These earlier coins were mostly copper
mixed with a small amount of nickel. The newer
coins are made mostly from zinc. There was a time
period when copper was in great demand and a steel
penny was minted. It is a must have for any collection
and can be found for fairly cheap.
If you are just getting
into coin collecting, you might be surprised to
know that all of these variations exist. Most
of them are not in circulation but every once
in a while a true gem will appear in circulation.
Most people don't realize the value of a collectible
penny. They just think it's a penny but some of
these coins can be worth quite a large sum of
money.
Pennies are probably the
easiest coin to collect due to their lower prices
and great availability. Pennies are a great start
for coin collecting and you can learn quite a
bit of history from them as well.
Just like most coins there
were quite a few variations with the penny. Any
penny is a great addition to your collection.
Here are the Variations.
- Flying Eagle Penny
- Indian Head Penny
- Wheat Pennies
- 1943 Steel Penny
- Lincoln Memorial Penny
- 2009 Lincoln Penny
As a coin collector any
small cent would be great for your collection
but here are some key dates.

|