How to Identify the Two-Cent Piece

What Is the Two-Cent Piece?

The Two-Cent Piece was struck by the United States Mint from 1864 to 1873, introduced partly to ease a wartime coin shortage during the Civil War and notable as the first US coin ever to carry the motto "IN GOD WE TRUST." It was discontinued once demand declined, but its motto legacy carried forward onto later coin designs.

Obverse Design

The obverse shows a large shield, similar in style to the shield later used on the Shield Nickel, with crossed arrows behind it and a scroll banner across the top bearing "IN GOD WE TRUST" in small raised letters, the historic first appearance of that phrase on US coinage. The date appears below the shield.

Reverse Design

The reverse displays the denomination "2 CENTS" in large numerals and lettering, encircled by a wreath of wheat stalks, with "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA" arranged around the outer border.

Size, Weight, and Metal

The Two-Cent Piece is a bronze coin (95% copper, 5% tin and zinc) measuring about 23 mm in diameter, slightly larger than the cent of the same era, with a plain edge and a warm reddish-brown color typical of bronze coinage of the period.

Motto Variety: "IN GOD WE TRUST"

Some 1864-dated pieces exist without the motto (a "Small Motto" and "No Motto" distinction also applies to certain design nuances within the first year), while all Two-Cent Pieces from later in 1864 onward carry the "Large Motto" version. Collectors specifically look at the style and size of the lettering in the motto banner on 1864 pieces to separate the scarcer small-motto variety from the far more common large-motto type.

Telling It Apart from Similar Coins

The Two-Cent Piece is distinguished from other denominations mainly by its size, its shield-and-crossed-arrows obverse (which no other single denomination duplicates exactly), and its "2 CENTS" reverse wording, which sets it apart from both the smaller cent and the silver three-cent piece of the same general period. It should not be confused with the Shield Nickel, introduced shortly afterward in 1866, which reuses a similar shield motif on its obverse but is a smaller five-cent coin with a different reverse showing numerals rather than a wheat wreath.

Judging Condition

Grade is assessed by how much detail remains in the shield's vertical stripes and the crossed arrows behind it, along with the sharpness of the wheat stalks and lettering on the reverse. Because these coins are bronze and now well over a century old, uneven coloration, spotting, or corrosion is common, and well-struck, evenly toned examples are valued more highly than pieces with the same numerical wear grade but poor eye appeal.

Authenticity Red Flags

Because certain dates within this short series are notably scarcer than others, altered dates and added mint-style marks (the series has no mint marks, since all were struck at Philadelphia) are occasional concerns; any piece with numerals that appear re-engraved, misaligned, or of different size and style than the rest of the date should be examined carefully. A grainy or overly soft appearance in the shield and lettering can also indicate a cast reproduction rather than a genuinely struck coin.