The chain cent was

America The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

's first

large cent The United States large cent was a coin with a face value of of a United States dollar. Its nominal diameter was 1 inch (28.57 mm). The first official mintage of the large cent was in 1793, and its production continued until 1857, when it ...

and the first circulating coin officially produced by the

United States Mint The United States Mint is a bureau of the United States Department of the Treasury, Department of the Treasury responsible for producing coinage for the United States to conduct its trade and commerce, as well as controlling the movement of bull ...

. It was struck only during 1793. It was not the first circulating coin produced by the United States, which was the Fugio cent of 1787 (also known as the Franklin cent), based on the

Continental dollar Early American currency went through several stages of development during the colonial and post-Revolutionary history of the United States. John Hull was authorized by the Massachusetts legislature to make the earliest coinage of the colony (th ...

. As with the Fugio cent, the Chain cent was made of copper and featured a chain symbolizing the linking together of the states of the United States.

Obverse design

The

obverse The obverse and reverse are the two flat faces of coins and some other two-sided objects, including paper money, flags, seals, medals, drawings, old master prints and other works of art, and printed fabrics. In this usage, ''obverse'' ...

design consisted of a stylized

Liberty Liberty is the state of being free within society from oppressive restrictions imposed by authority on one's way of life, behavior, or political views. The concept of liberty can vary depending on perspective and context. In the Constitutional ...

head with flowing hair, similar to that on the 1792 half disme but facing right. The inscription "LIBERTY" appeared above the portrait, and the date below.

Reverse design

The reverse's central design figure, for which the coin is named, is an interlocking

chain A chain is a serial assembly of connected pieces, called links, typically made of metal, with an overall character similar to that of a rope in that it is flexible and curved in compression but linear, rigid, and load-bearing in tension. A ...

with 15 links, representing the fifteen American states in the Union at that time (the original

Thirteen Colonies The Thirteen Colonies were the British colonies on the Atlantic coast of North America which broke away from the British Crown in the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783), and joined to form the United States of America. The Thirteen C ...

Vermont Vermont () is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, New York (state), New York to the west, and the Provinces and territories of Ca ...

and

Kentucky Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...

). Both the words "ONE CENT" and the fraction appear within the chain. Along the outer edge is inscribed "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA". On the first working die, the engraver failed to allow adequate room for the entire inscription, and it had to be abbreviated to "UNITED STATES OF AMERI.". These early dies were cut by hand, rather than being made from master hubs as is the practice today. (It is also said that the abbreviation was ordered by Mint Director

David Rittenhouse David Rittenhouse (April 8, 1732 – June 26, 1796) was an American astronomer, inventor, clockmaker, mathematician, surveyor, scientific instrument craftsman, and public official. Rittenhouse was a member of the American Philosophical Society an ...

in an attempt to "balance" the designs of the obverse and reverse).

Edge

The edge of these coins is decorated with bars and vines with leaves.

Public reaction

Chain cents were struck during late February and early March 1793; records indicate that approximately 36,103 were produced. However, the public reaction to the coins was largely unfavorable. One newspaper criticized the appearance of the Liberty head, saying that it appeared to be "in a fright". And, while the reverse chain had been intended to symbolize the unity of the newly formed Union (similar iconography had been utilized on the reverse of the earlier

Fugio Cent The Fugio cent, also known as the Franklin cent, is the first official circulation coin of the United States. Consisting of of copper and minted dated 1787, by some accounts it was designed by Benjamin Franklin. Its design is very similar to F ...

and Revolutionary War era Continental currency), many commentators instead interpreted it as representative of

slavery Slavery is the ownership of a person as property, especially in regards to their labour. Slavery typically involves compulsory work, with the slave's location of work and residence dictated by the party that holds them in bondage. Enslavemen ...

. By March, the Mint had run out of

planchet A planchet is a round metal disk that is ready to be struck as a coin. An older word for planchet is flan. They are also referred to as blanks. History The preparation of the flan or planchet has varied over the years. In ancient times, the ...

s, which temporarily halted striking. During this time, a new design – the Wreath cent – was quickly prepared and approved.

Collecting

As a one-year only type coin and the first

business strike A circulation issue
at coins-of-the-uk.co.uk. Retrieved 22 May 2022. or circulation coin,_ (1988). ''The Americ ...

cent, the Chain cent has always been in demand, both by collectors of large cents, as well as type collectors. Struck for about two weeks from late February until early March 1793, only about 1,000 coins are known to exist today, and even coins in the lowest grades still sell for thousands of dollars.

References

External links

The First Cent Coinage

Chain cent sold at auction

One Cent 1793 Flowing Hair, Chain Reverse
Detailed information, photos of varieties. {{Coinage (United States) 1793 introductions One-cent coins of the United States Goddess of Liberty on coins