US $ 1 hundred part – Wikipedia

The cent , commonly called penny ^{[ 2 ]} , is a coin of the United States whose value is one hundredth in US dollar, the symbol of cent East ” ¢ ». The official name of Penny for the United States Mint is a ” cent » ^{[ 3 ]} And for the American treasure it is a ” one cent piece » ^{[ 4 ]} . The familiar term ” penny »Drift from that of the British piece of the same name whose pre-decimal version had a similar value. In American English, ” pennies “Is the plural form of” penny “, The other plural forms” pence ” And ” pee (In use in British English) are not used ^{[ 5 ]} .

In 2012, the manufacturing cost of cent For the American currency was 0.02 $ ^{[ 6 ]} . This amount includes the fixed costs of the currency for distribution and manufacturing, estimated at $ 13 million for the 2011 financial year and costs for the sole penny $ 17.7 million for 2011. The loss made on the production of the part of a cent in the United States for 2012 was 58,000,000 $ ^{[ 6 ]} .

First attempts [ modifier | Modifier and code ]

The uprising of the thirteen colonies in 1775 leads to the need for a new currency, both distinct from that of Great Britain, to compensate for the absence of cash due to the maritime blockade and pay the army: it was the experience of Continental dollar , paper currency, ancestor of the assignat, and which ends with hyperinflation. This question is accompanied by several attempts at metal strikes, tests, carried out in particular by Benjamin Franklin, principal craftsman of the ” Flee Which was made of copper from May 1787 , weighing about 10 g, without facial value but of a module equivalent to that of a French penny or half a English penny. The names and the decimal system end up being ratified with the Coinage Act of 1792 Who undertakes to centralize the design and monetary program of the young Republic, not without difficulties.

Types ” Large Cent » [ modifier | Modifier and code ]

The first part of 1 hundred officially appears in the vintage of 1793. worth 1/100 of dollar, with a diameter of 26.5 mm It weighs 13.48 g and contains only copper. It is therefore greater than the hundred currently in circulation. The monetary law of 1792 also enabled a piece of part of a value of half a hundred until 1857.

The design and engraving of this first module are the work of Henry Voigt (in) , chief engraver of the United States Mint. On the obverse appear the head of “freedom with long hair” (called ” Flowing Hair »), Looking to the right, as well as the mention« Liberty And the date; On the reverse, the values ​​” One cent ” And ” 1/100 “, Registered in the center, are surrounded by a stylized chain and words United States of America . Only 36,103 pieces leave the Philadelphia workshop.

In the process, the second chief engraver Adam Eckfeldt Man eckfeldt , board on a new design which is also put into manufacture only in vintage 1793: the only formal difference is that at the obverse, a vegetable pattern, three tree leaves, appears, and that on the reverse, the chain, which had aroused criticism, was replaced by a laurel wreath. The volume of the strike is also greater, with 63,353 parts manufactured.

A third attempt happens, also started with the 1793 vintage: it is the joint work of the painter Joseph Wright (American Painter) (in) , which died in September, modified in 1795 by the engraver John Smith Gardner (in) . The obverse shows the same head of freedom but this time accompanied by a Phrygian cap (called ” Liberty Cap ) And, on the back, the stylized crown represents olive branches. There are therefore two versions: with thin slice, the room weighing the same weight as the two previous types, and thick, of a mass of 10.89 g . Struck until 1796, this module will eventually stand out, with a global draw greater than 1.5 million units.

From 1796 to 1807, the type ” Draped Bust »Designed by Robert Scot is put in manufacturing: this type of one understands a new freedom, presented in bust, on the obverse.

From 1808 to 1857, the one hundred called ” Classic Head “(Classic head): Originally designed by the engraver John Reich, he was revised in 1816 by Scot and then in 1840 by Christian Gobrecht, who was inspired by a drawing by the painter Titian Peale. The obverse shows, surrounded by the 13 stars of the first independence colonies, the head of freedom of profile, turned to the left and carrying a tiara on which the word “is written” Liberty »; On the reverse, the 1/100 fraction ended up disappearing in 1816. The prints were increasingly important, with points at more than 6 million units in 1838, then to almost 10 million in 1851.

“Small modules” [ modifier | Modifier and code ]

A new module is launched by the US Mint, for the first time in the 1856 vintage, the “Small Cent” (small one hundred), made of an 88% copper and 12% nickel alloy: the diameter falls to 19 mm , the current format, and the mass is lowered to 4.67 g (almost 2.5 times less). This reform, which includes a sensitive weight difference, can be explained according to different hypotheses. First of all, the will of money to spare copper, strategic metal and costly to manufacture; There was even a question of launching a hundred including a share of metal silver with a hole in the center, then using bronze, but the industrial lobby of nickel progressed in the American Congress. Finally, on the psychological level, this “small hundred” accredited the idea of ​​a devaluation: indeed, the massive arrival of gold from California has favored a form of inflation.

The Flying Eagle (Aigle flying) was not struck until 1858: designed by James B. Longacre, he shows a white pygargue with the flight to the flight surrounded by the mention ” United States of America And the date; On the back the mention ” One cent Surrounded by a crown of foliage and flowers. This “eagle”, Longacre was able to draw it by drawing inspiration from a domesticated pygargue nicknamed “Peter” who lived in the premises of the US Mint. Over 40 million units were struck.

From 1859 to 1909, currency produced the type ” Indian Head ». Also designed by Longacre with the usual official mentions, but of a metal composition at the start unchanged, the obverse shows an Amerindian head carrying a feather cap decorated with the word ” Liberty »; The reverse was revised in 1860: to the braided crown of branches was added the union’s coat of arms. From 1865, the currency decided to hit the hundred on bronze (95% copper, 5% tin and zinc).

Since 1909, the Avers du Cent has presented the bust of President Abraham Lincoln; Designed by Victor D. Brenner (in) . The reverse evolved according to three types: the first presents two ears of wheat until 1959; The second the Lincoln Memorial engraved by Frank Gasparro Frank Gasparro ; The third, since 2010, has shown the Union shield and was designed by Lyndall Bass. In 1943, due to war and restrictions on copper, the metal composition of the one was made of zinc -plated steel.