Vital Stats.
Designer: James Barton Longacre
Weight: 6.2 grams
Diameter: 23 millimeters
Edge: Plain
Content: 95% copper 5% other
Year/
Mint Mark | Circulation
Strikes |
| 1863 | Pattern |
| 1864 | 19,847,500 |
| 1865 | 13,640,000 |
| 1866 | 3,177,000 |
| 1867 | 2,938,750 |
| 1868 | 2,803,750 |
| 1869 | 1,546,500 |
| 1870 | 861,250 |
| 1871 | 721,250 |
1872  | 65,000 |
1873  | Proofs 600 |
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Typical Two Cent Coin
Large and Small Motto Example
1873 "Closed 3" two cent
The two cent coin hold two destinctions, it was the first U.S. coin to have the
motto IN GOD WE TRUST on it. The second destinction was: It was and is the least
successful coin in U.S. history. Production of the coin started out with nearly 20
million coins and over a ten year period, dropped to 600 proofs. This was a gage
of its popularity. While all two-cent coins are of the same basic type, several
die varieties exist. The most important variation is the "Small Motto" and "Large
Motto" varieties of 1864 as seen it the example above.
The same law that eliminated the two cent coin in 1873 also did away with the half
dime and the silver three-cent piece. During the late 1970s discussion of reviving
the two cent coin was heard, but nothing came of it.
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