Two Cent (United States)
Value:	2 cents (0.02 U.S. dollars)
Mass:	6.221 g
Diameter:	23.00 mm
Thickness:	? mm
Edge:	plain
Composition:	95% Cu, ?% Zn, ?% Sn
Obverse
Design:	Shield
Designer:	James Barton Longacre
Design Date:	1864?
Reverse
Design:	Wreath
Designer:	James Barton Longacre
Design Date:	1864?

The two-cent coin was produced in the United States from 1864-1873 with decreasing mintages throughout that time. The two-cent piece was made of 95% copper with tin and zinc making up the remainder. It was very slightly smaller than a modern U.S. quarter. The two-cent piece was designed by James B. Longacre, the Chief Engraver of the United States Mint. The United States dollar is the official currency of the United States. ... Cu or cu can mean: Copper, from Latin cuprum. ... General Name, Symbol, Number zinc, Zn, 30 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 12, 4, d Density, Hardness 7140 kg/m3, 2. ... SN can mean: Sabena (IATA code) Sacramento Northern Railway (AAR reporting mark SN) Senegal (ISO country code) Screenname, used primarily when referring to AOL services Serial Number SN Brussels Airlines (IATA code) Standards Norway / Standard Norge Supernova See also: Sn This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists... US Two cent piece (obverse) This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... James Barton Longacre, (August 11, 1794 - January 1, 1869) an American engraver, was Chief Engraver of the United States Mint from 1844 until his death. ... 1864 was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... US Two cent piece (reverse) This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... James Barton Longacre, (August 11, 1794 - January 1, 1869) an American engraver, was Chief Engraver of the United States Mint from 1844 until his death. ... 1864 was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... 1864 was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... 1873 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... The quarter is 1/4th of a United States dollar or 25 cents. ... James Barton Longacre, (August 11, 1794 - January 1, 1869) an American engraver, was Chief Engraver of the United States Mint from 1844 until his death. ... The United States Mint is responsible for producing and circulating coinage for the United States to conduct its trade and commerce. ...

The two-cent piece was the first coin of the United States to bear the national motto "In God We Trust." Note that this occurred during the height of the Civil War when religious feelings were very prominent. In God We Trust is a national motto of the United States of America. ... The American Civil War was fought in the United States from 1861 until 1865 between the United States – forces coming mostly from the 23 northern states of the Union – and the newly-formed Confederate States of America, which consisted of 11 southern states that had declared their secession. ...

The obverse (so designated because it bears the date) has a shield with a ribbon over it bearing the motto, IN GOD WE TRUST. Behind the shield are two arrows, and a branch with leaves (most likely an olive branch).

The reverse has a wreath made up of several different plant components surrounding the words 2 CENTS. The words UNITED STATES OF AMERICA surround the wreath.

The design is similar to the shield nickel of the same period, which was also designed by Longacre.

Two cent pieces were minted in both proof and regular issues. Although the proof mintages were normally smaller than the regular issue mintages, more proofs of high grade survive as they were always special collector coins. A beautiful example of a proof coin. ...

The two cent piece was authorized by Congress on April 22, 1864, and the same law that eliminated the coins in 1873 also did away with the half dime and the silver three-cent piece (the copper-nickel three cent piece continued to be minted through 1889). During the mid- and late-1970s there was some discussion about reviving the two-cent denomination (in conjunction with reducing the mintage of the one-cent piece), but nothing became of it. The Congress of the United States is the legislative branch of the federal government of the United States of America. ... April 22 is the 112th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (113th in leap years). ... 1873 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... The half dime was a silver coin, valued at five cents, formerly minted in the United States. ... 1889 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Events and trends Although in the United States and in many other Western societies the 1970s are often seen as a period of transition between the turbulent 1960s and the more conservative 1980s and 1990s, many of the trends that are associated widely with the Sixties, from the Sexual Revolution...

While all two-cent pieces are of the same type, many die varieties exist. The most significant of these are the Small Motto and Large Motto varieties of 1864. The Small Motto is rarer and more valuable. Doubled dies, die cracks and other mint errors are often encountered in this series. In Numismatics, a Doubled Die error is one in which the die used to strike the image onto the coin accidentally strikes the coin twice, sometimes at angles. ...