Draped Bust cents pair a formal Liberty portrait with a wreath reverse across twelve dates, while overdates, fractions, stems, and die pairings create a much deeper specialist catalog.

This guide covers Philadelphia large cents dated 1796–1807 and retains every normalized issue and child variety record, including later cataloged restrike material.

Core specifications

Issue period
1796–1807
Catalog mints
1
Reported catalog mintage
16,111,813
Composition
100% Copper
Diameter
29 mm
Weight
10.89 g

A stable portrait with constantly changing dies

The Draped Bust portrait brought a more formal Liberty to the cent while the large copper format and wreath reverse continued.

Annual designs look similar at first glance, but punches and dies changed repeatedly. Overdates, fraction errors, stemless wreaths, hair styles, and reverse pairings make attribution a disciplined study.

Obverse, reverse, and the details that identify the type

Confirm the major design, date, and mint mark before studying smaller die differences.

The main portrait and date

A draped Liberty faces right with LIBERTY above and the date below; hair style and date punches help identify obverse dies.

Denomination, subject, and mint mark

A wreath surrounds ONE CENT and 1/100, with UNITED STATES OF AMERICA around the rim; fraction and stem details identify reverses.

Where the cataloged coins were made

Totals are calculated from reported issue records in this catalog; unknown figures are not counted as zero.

  • P — Philadelphia: 1796, 1797, 1798, 1799, 1800, 1801, 1802, 1803, 1804, 1805, 1806, 1807; 16,111,813. Philadelphia issues commonly carry no P mint mark in classic series; confirm the expected blank area rather than searching for a letter.

Representative issues that explain the series

A readable common-date type coin is the foundation. Date sets and die marriages require reference images of both faces and careful surface evaluation.

  • 1796 P - Reverse of 1794 — N/A. Open the issue page and read this record together with its type, mint, finish, and grade context.
  • 1799 P - 9 Over 8 — N/A. Open the issue page and read this record together with its type, mint, finish, and grade context.
  • 1804 P — 96,500. Open the issue page and read this record together with its type, mint, finish, and grade context.
  • 1806 P — 348,000. Open the issue page and read this record together with its type, mint, finish, and grade context.
  • 1807 P - Comet Variety — N/A. Open the issue page and read this record together with its type, mint, finish, and grade context.

Start with the major type, then study smaller die differences

The current catalog records 1 varieties. A variety name describes repeatable die features; it does not automatically mean error, rarity, or added value.

The issue catalog keeps all 1 modeled varieties attached to their parent issue records.

Issue catalog

1796 P Draped Bust Cent - All Varieties1796 P Draped Bust Cent - Reverse of 17941796 P Draped Bust Cent - Reverse of 17951796 P Draped Bust Cent - Reverse of 17971796 P Draped Bust Cent - LIHERTY Error1796 P Draped Bust Cent - Stemless Wreath Reverse1797 P Draped Bust Cent - All Varieties1797 P Draped Bust Cent - Gripped Edge 1795 Reverse1797 P Draped Bust Cent - Plain Edge 1795 Reverse1797 P Draped Bust Cent - 1797 Reverse With Stems1797 P Draped Bust Cent - 1797 Reverse Stemless1798 P Draped Bust Cent - All Varieties1798 P Draped Bust Cent - 8 Over 71798 P Draped Bust Cent - Reverse of 17951798 P Draped Bust Cent - Style 1 Hair1798 P Draped Bust Cent - Style 2 Hair1799 P Draped Bust Cent - Normal Date1799 P Draped Bust Cent - 9 Over 81800 P Draped Bust Cent - All Varieties1800 P Draped Bust Cent - Normal Date1800 P Draped Bust Cent - 1800 Over 1798 Style 1 Hair1800 P Draped Bust Cent - 80 Over 79 Style 2 Hair1801 P Draped Bust Cent - All Varieties1801 P Draped Bust Cent - Normal Reverse1801 P Draped Bust Cent - 3 Errors: 1/000 - One Stem - IINITED1801 P Draped Bust Cent - Fraction 1/0001801 P Draped Bust Cent - 1/100 Over 1/0001802 P Draped Bust Cent - All Varieties1802 P Draped Bust Cent - Normal Reverse1802 P Draped Bust Cent - Fraction 1 Over 0001802 P Draped Bust Cent - Stemless Wreath1803 P Draped Bust Cent - All Varieties1803 P Draped Bust Cent - Small Date - Small Fraction1803 P Draped Bust Cent - Small Date - Large Fraction1803 P Draped Bust Cent - Large Date - Small Fraction1803 P Draped Bust Cent - Large Date - Large Fraction1803 P Draped Bust Cent - 1/100 Over 1/0001803 P Draped Bust Cent - Stemless Wreath1804 P Draped Bust Cent1805 P Draped Bust Cent1806 P Draped Bust Cent1807 P Draped Bust Cent - All Varieties1807 P Draped Bust Cent - Small 1807 - 7 Over 6 - Blunt 11807 P Draped Bust Cent - Large 1807 - 7 Over 6 - Pointed 11807 P Draped Bust Cent - Small Fraction1807 P Draped Bust Cent - Large Fraction1807 P Draped Bust Cent - Comet Variety

From one type coin to a complete catalog

  • One representative coin: Choose one problem-free, readable example and learn the size, edge, and major design.
  • Major-type set: Use one coin per major design to show changes in artwork, composition, or production.
  • Dates and mints: Work through the issue catalog by date and mint, defining special finishes separately.
  • Variety study: Choose one date or diagnostic family and record several matching markers for every attribution.

A note on catalog records

This page uses 47 issue records, 1 modeled varieties, and currently reported mintages; unknown values remain unknown.

Sources

  1. History of U.S. Circulating Coins — United States Mint
  2. Penny: Designs and History — United States Mint
  3. Draped Bust Cent category reference — PCGS CoinFacts