Classic Head - Misplaced Pages

19th century American coin design

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The Classic Head was a coin design issued by the United States Mint in the early 19th century. It was introduced for copper coinage in 1808 by engraver John Reich and later redesigned by Chief Engraver William Kneass.

Dates minted

(John Reich) Half cents: 1809 to 1836
(John Reich) Large cents: 1808 until 1815
(William Kneass) Quarter eagle: 1834 to 1839
(William Kneass) Half eagle: 1834 to 1837

Description

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The short-lived Classic Head (or as some collectors called it, "Turban Head") interpretation of Liberty was designed by John Reich for use on the half cent and the large cent; however, the design used on the silver and gold coins was developed by William Kneass. The Classic Head depicted Liberty with long, curly hair. The reverse designed by John Reich depicted the coin's denomination and value inside a wreath.

Kneass's design, however, scaled down the design so it would fit on smaller coins and then added a heraldic eagle on the reverse, substituting the simple design by John Reich. A similar design on gold coinage kept the name "Classic Head", but only retained the curly hair. The head was completely redesigned by William Kneass, and featured a traditional maiden with a ribbon binding her long, curly hair.

This variety omitted "E pluribus unum" from the reverse of the coin. In 1840, a smaller head was designed to conform with the appearance of the larger gold coins, therefore making the Classic Head design obsolete. The new Classic Head design was produced from 1834 to 1839.

The Classic Head variety was usually preceded by the Draped Bust design and followed by the Matron Head liberty on copper coinage.

Usage

The design was used for the following coins:

References

"A Coin Crank. The Rare Collection of Michigan Numismatist". Newspapers.com. St. Louis Globe-Democrat. January 2, 1885. p. 6. Archived from the original on December 20, 2023. Retrieved September 18, 2023. This "fillet head" appeared upon all the cents until 1808, when a head known among collectors as "the turban head" appeared.

Sources

R.S. Yeoman, A Guide Book of United States Coins 2009 Edition.

Circulating coinage of the United States

Half cent (1⁄2¢)

Nova Constellatio (1783)
Liberty Cap (1793–1797)
Draped Bust (1800–1808)
Classic Head (1809–1836)
Braided Hair (1840–1857)

Large cent and
penny (1¢)

Fugio (Franklin) (1787)
Silver center (1792)
Chain (1793)
Wreath (1793)
Liberty Cap (1793–1796)
Draped Bust (1796–1807)
Classic Head (1808–1814)
Matron Head (1816–1839)
Braided Hair (1839–1857, 1868)
Ring (1850–1851, 1853, 1884–1885)
Flying Eagle (1856–1858, patterns struck in 1854–1855)
Indian Head (1859–1909, patterns struck in 1858)
Lincoln (1909–present)

Two cents (2¢)

Billon (1836)
Bronze (1864–1873, patterns struck in 1863)

Three cents (3¢)

Silver (1851–1873)
Bronze (Coronet Head) (1863)
Nickel (Liberty Head) (1865–1889)

Half dime and
nickel (5¢)

Half disme (1792)
Flowing Hair (1794–1795)
Draped Bust (1796–1797, 1800–1805)
Capped Bust (1829–1837)
Washington (1866; 1909–1910)
Seated Liberty (1837–1873)
Shield (1866–1883)
Liberty Head (1883–1913)
Buffalo (Indian Head) (1913–1938)
Jefferson (1938–present)

Dime (10¢)

Nova Constellatio (1783)
Disme (1792)
Draped Bust (1796–1807)
Capped Bust (1809–1837)
Seated Liberty (1837–1891)
Barber (1892–1916)
Mercury (1916–1945)
Roosevelt (1946–present)

Twenty cents (20¢)

Seated Liberty (1875–1878)

Quarter (25¢)

Draped Bust (1796–1807)
Capped Bust (1815–1838)
Seated Liberty (1838–1891)
Barber (1892–1916)
Standing Liberty (1916–1930)
Washington (eagle reverse) (1932–1998)
Washington (bicentennial) (1975–1976)
Washington (50 State) (1999–2008)
Washington (D.C. and U.S. Territories) (2009)
Washington (America the Beautiful) (2010–2021)
Washington (crossing the Delaware reverse) (2021)
Washington (American Women) (2022–2025)
Washington (Semiquincentennial) (2026)
Washington (youth sports) (2027–2030)

Half dollar (50¢)

Nova Constellatio (1783)
Flowing Hair (1794–1795)
Draped Bust (1796–1807)
Capped Bust (1807–1839)
Seated Liberty (1839–1891)
Barber (1892–1915)
Walking Liberty (1916–1947)
Franklin (1948–1963)
Kennedy (1964–present)
Kennedy (bicentennial) (1975–1976)

Dollar ($1)

Continental Currency (Fugio or Franklin) (1776)
Nova Constellatio (1783)
Flowing Hair (1794–1795)
Draped Bust (1795–1804)
Gobrecht (1836–1839)
Seated Liberty (1840–1873)
Trade (1873–1885)
Morgan (1878–1904; 1921; 2021–present)
Peace (1921–1935; 2021–present; patterns struck in 1964)
Eisenhower (1971–1978)
Eisenhower (bicentennial) (1975–1976)
Susan B. Anthony (1979–1981; 1999)
Sacagawea (2000–present)
Presidential (2007–2016; 2020)
American Innovation (2018–2032)

Gold

Gold dollar ($1)	Liberty Head (1849–1854) Indian Princess (1854–1889)
Quarter eagle ($2.50)	Draped Bust (1796–1807) Capped Bust (1808–1834) Classic Head (1834–1839) Liberty Head (1840–1907) Indian Head (1908–1929)
Three dollars ($3)	Indian Princess (1854–1889)
Half eagle ($5)	Draped Bust (1795–1807) Capped Bust (1808–1834) Classic Head (1834–1838) Liberty Head (1839–1908) Indian Head (1908–1929)
Eagle ($10)	Capped Bust (1795–1804) Liberty Head (1838–1907) Indian Head (1907–1933)
Double eagle ($20)	Liberty Head (1850–1907, pattern struck in 1849) Quintuple Stella (1879) Saint-Gaudens (1907–1933)

Other canceled
denominations

Two and a half cent piece (2.5¢) (not minted)
Two dollar piece ($2) (not minted)
Stella ($4) (1879–1880)
Half union ($50) (1877)
Union ($100) (not minted)

(italics) Obsolete
Canceled
(bold) Currently in production
Currently produced for collectors only
(bold and italics) Planned but production not commenced

Obsolete United States currency and coinage

Topics

Coins

Half disme (1792)
Half cent (1793–1857)
Fugio cent (1787)
Large cent (1793–1857)
Two-cent piece (1864–1873)
Three-cent nickel (1865–1889)
Three-cent silver (1851–1873)
Half dime (1792–1873)
Twenty-cent piece (1875–1878)

Gold coins	Gold dollar (1849–1889) Quarter eagle (1796–1929) Three-dollar piece (1854–1889) Half eagle (1795–1929) Eagle (1795–1933) Double eagle (1850–1933; 2009)

Currency

Discontinued denominations

Discontinued currency types

v t e Coinage of the United States
Circulating	1¢ 5¢ 10¢ 25¢ 50¢ $1
Obsolete	1⁄2¢ 1¢ (Fugio) 1¢ (large size) 2¢ 3¢ (silver) 3¢ (nickel) 5¢ (silver) 20¢ $1 (gold) $2.5 $3 $5 $10 $20
Canceled	2¢ (billon) 2+1⁄2¢ 3¢ (bronze) $2 $4 $50 $100
Commemorative	1800s 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s 2020s
Bullion	Silver Eagle (1986–present) Gold Eagle (1986–present) Platinum Eagle (1997–present) Gold Buffalo (2006–present) First Spouse (gold) (2007–2016; 2020) Palladium Eagle (2017–present) America the Beautiful silver bullion coins (2010–2021) American Liberty high relief gold coin (2015–present)
Special sets	Proof Set (1936–present) Mint Set (1947–present) Special Mint Set (1964–1967) Souvenir Set (1972–1998) Silver Proof Set (1976, 1992–present) Prestige Set (1983–1997)

Categories:

Dates minted

Description

Usage

See also

References

Sources