Two Cent Pieces 1864-1873

About This Series

Historic significance elevates the two-cent piece far beyond its brief ten-year production run: this denomination was the first United States coin to carry the motto IN GOD WE TRUST, introduced during the Civil War when religious sentiment and national anxiety converged to produce lasting changes to American coinage. James B. Longacre designed the shield obverse — symbolizing the defense of the Union — paired with a wreath reverse enclosing the denomination. The 1864 Small Motto variety, distinguished by narrower lettering in IN GOD WE TRUST, is significantly rarer than the Large Motto and commands premiums that can reach twenty times the price of its common counterpart. First-year mintages exceeded 19 million pieces, but production fell sharply thereafter as the coin's denomination proved impractical alongside the existing cent and nickel: by 1872, just 65,000 business strikes were produced, and the final 1873 issue was proof-only. Struck in bronze (95% copper, 5% tin and zinc) at 23mm diameter and 6.22 grams, two-cent pieces saw genuine circulation during the Civil War era when hoarding had created severe small-change shortages. The denomination was officially abolished by the Coinage Act of 1873, but its legacy endures through the IN GOD WE TRUST motto that gradually spread to all American coins and remains in use today.

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