A Penny for Your Thoughts…
When I decided to use a penny in the novel, I am Mrs. Jesse James, I had to do some research. What did a penny from Zee and Jesse’s time look like? This resulted in chasing down several rabbit holes, because the information I found fascinated me. Here’s a much condensed version of what I learned about the American penny’s history.
Turns out in 1787, the humble penny became the first official currency authorized by the newly created United States. Called “Fugio” cents, the coins were one hundred percent copper, and created in a design suggested by Benjamin Franklin. Paul Revere, patriot and renowned blacksmith, supplied some of the copper for those first coins. The penny was large (roughly the size of a Susan B. Anthony dollar), and heavy.
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The Fugio cent. Isn’t it nice our founding fathers warned us to “Mind Your Business?” (Wikipedia)
Starting in 1793, Lady Liberty was featured on one side of the coin, hand-engraved with her hair blowing wild in the wind (“Flowing Hair” Liberty). Critics disliked the design, so she had several makeovers in that same year before people were satisfied. Then the “Liberty Cap” cent version also underwent several revisions between 1793 and 1796, and the coin’s weight was slightly reduced.
Lady Liberty continued to reside on the penny in the “Draped Bust” cent, morphing to the “Classic Head” cent in 1808. But no coins were minted in 1815 due to a copper shortage following another teeny-tiny disagreement between the United States and Britain, otherwise known as the War of 1812.
This brought us to Ms. Liberty as the “Coronet Head” cent from 1816-1839, and then to “Braided Hair” cent. But despite the revision, critics were not kind, nicknaming the image “fat mistress” and even “obese ward boss”. All this public shaming worked. Once again, the penny got a makeover – but for more reasons than Lady Liberty’s appearance.
By 1857, citizens had grown weary of pockets weighed down by large clunky pennies. So the coin was redesigned to shrink in size – closer to what we see today. Lady Liberty also vanished (perhaps the engravers at the U.S. Mint got sick and tired of updating her look). The coin’s composition transformed to a mixture of copper and nickel; and the woman’s head was replaced with a flying eagle.
Yet the engravers did not rest. Soon the eagle transformed to an Indian’s head. This design lasted until 1909, when Lincoln’s profile was featured, as a way to commemorate the 100th birthday of the martyred president. Lincoln became the first historical figure to appear on a U.S. coin. This penny was also the first coin to include the words, “In God We Trust”. Lincoln continues to grace today’s penny, as the longest running design in United States Mint history. After all, who would suggest a makeover for Abraham Lincoln?
I had a lot of fun making the penny a part of I am Mrs. Jesse James. I even located a coin with the date stamp I wanted during a tedious on line search. Coincidence that I found it? Maybe. I purchased the coin along with one from 1863 for comparison, and added both to my collection. Holding the large coin in my own hand, I could feel its weight, and observe how the copper absorbed body warmth – just as people who handled them years ago would have noticed.
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A penny for a promise. I used the 1828 “large penny” coin as a plot device in I am Mrs. Jesse James. The 1863 Indian head coin is pictured for size comparison.
This is one of the things I love most about writing historical fiction – finding fun facts you didn’t expect when the research process begins. The real problem though is, sometimes you get so carried away with research, it slows down writing time. To this charge I can only respond with a single word.
Guilty.
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Pat Wahler is the author of I am Mrs. Jesse James, available at your favorite local bookstore and on line retailers.
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