1842 Large Date Large Cent — PCGS MS64+ RD

An Exceptional 1842 Large Cent with Remarkable Original Red Color

1842 Braided Hair Large Cent — Large Date
PCGS MS64+ RD (Red)
Among the Finest Known

An extraordinary survivor from the early days of American copper coinage.

This 1842 Large Date Braided Hair Cent, certified PCGS MS64+ RD, combines exceptional preservation with something particularly difficult to find on a copper coin more than 180 years old: beautiful original RED color.

Copper begins reacting with the environment almost immediately after a coin is struck, gradually changing from its original mint-red appearance to red-brown and eventually brown. For an 1842 Large Cent to survive in such a lofty Mint State grade while retaining enough original color to earn the coveted PCGS RD designation makes this an especially noteworthy example.

The obverse features Christian Gobrecht's classic Liberty Head, surrounded by 13 stars representing the original colonies. The reverse carries the traditional ONE CENT denomination within a wreath.

Coin Details

• Date: 1842
• Denomination: One Cent
• Type: Braided Hair Large Cent
• Variety: Large Date
• Composition: Copper
• Designer: Christian Gobrecht
• Mint: Philadelphia
• Grade: PCGS MS64+
• Color Designation: RD — Red
• Mintage: 2,383,390
• Status: Among the finest surviving examples of the issue

A Little History — America in 1842

When this cent was struck, John Tyler was President of the United States, having assumed the presidency following the death of William Henry Harrison.

Here's a fun bit of perspective: Abraham Lincoln was only 33 years old in 1842—nearly two decades away from becoming president.

The United States had just 26 states, Texas was still an independent republic, and California would not become a U.S. state for another eight years.

And there was certainly no pocket change as we know it today. The Lincoln cent wouldn't appear until 1909, and even the small-sized cent we recognize today was still 14 years away. In 1842, your penny was a substantial piece of copper measuring approximately 27.5 mm in diameter—nearly the size of today's half dollar.

Fun Fact

One cent actually mattered in 1842.

A penny had considerable purchasing power compared with today. Losing a Large Cent wasn't something you simply ignored—and putting away a brilliant uncirculated example for future coin collectors certainly wasn't on most people's minds!

That is part of what makes a coin like this so fascinating. Someone preserved this cent extraordinarily well while America moved through the Civil War, two World Wars, the automobile age, aviation, television, computers and eventually the internet.

More than 180 years later, it remains remarkably close to the way an 1842 Large Cent looked when it left the Philadelphia Mint.

Scarsdale Coin

Exceptional coins with exceptional stories.

This PCGS MS64+ RD 1842 Large Date Large Cent represents the combination we look for in important coins: rarity, condition, eye appeal and history.

28549258  0726E200