Flowing Hair Chain (1793)

The Flowing Hair Chain was an American Large Cent that was only minted in 1793. It was designed by Henry Voight. The public widely hated the design, which is why only 36,103 were ever produced.



Design
although this was later fixed (as shown above)
 * The obverse of the Flowing Hair Chain shows Lady Liberty with "flowing hair" with LIBERTY written across the top and the date under.
 * The reverse shows a chain with 15 links, representing the 15 states of the time, forming a circle. In the center of the circle were the words ONE CENT, and below that was the proportion 1/100 meaning 100 for $1. The first die made for this coin said UNITED STATES OF AMERI. because the engraver failed to leave room for the full inscription (as shown below)

Other Details

 * Weight:13.48 grams
 * Diameter: 27 millimeters
 * Metal Content: 100% Copper
 * Auction Record: $368,000

The Public
The public really hated the new large cent. One newspaper even said that Lady Liberty looked like she was frightened, and while the reverse chain was ment to symbolize the thoughness and togetherness of the newly found Union, many interpreted it as representive of slavery. To please the public, the Mint changed the chain to a wreath, and added a three-leaved sprig to make the woman look more happy. They called this large cent the Flowing Hair Wreath.