1865 2C, RB MS64RB Certification #21280740, PCGS #3583

A dreamy piece, an absolute favorite in the set! A happy find, exactly what i was looking for. No problems. Great strike, luster and color. Nice amount of red for an RB.Priced right too! Thanks to Frank of Currency and Coins of Wayne PA. Nice that the obverse has more red as the coin is wall-mounted with this side showing!

Charles Morgan

The 1865 Two-Cent Piece

First struck in 1864 to alleviate the nationwide coin shortage caused by the Civil War, the Two-Cent Piece ultimately struggled to gain long-term traction. The coin, identical in diameter to the deprecated half-cent but slightly heavier, was conceived as an instrument to increase the circulation of small change in the Northeast and Midwest. For a few years, the coin fulfilled its purpose; however, a glut of base-metal issues—specifically the Indian Head Cent, the Three-Cent Nickel, and the Shield Nickel five-cent coin—eventually crowded out the "double cent."

This eventuality was not yet apparent in 1865. For the second year of the series, the Philadelphia Mint struck 13,640,000 pieces, representing a 31% decline from the inaugural year. This downward trend accelerated in 1866, with mintage falling by another 77% before stabilizing briefly over the following two years.

The Plain 5 and Fancy 5 Varieties

For completionists, the 1865 Two-Cent Piece offers two major varieties: the Plain 5 (PCGS #38247) and the Fancy 5 (PCGS #38256), along with several Cherrypickers' Guide varieties. These descriptors refer specifically to the style of the numeral "5" in the date.

The Plain 5 is the primary date style for the 1865 issue and is characterized by a straight, horizontal crossbar at the top of the digit. In contrast to the Fancy 5—which features a distinctively curved or "flipped" flag—the Plain 5 presents a more utilitarian, geometric profile. Within the Plain 5 and Fancy 5 families, collectors often hunt for several popular sub-varieties, including: 

Plain 5

• Doubled Die Obverse: FS-101 (#38250) and FS-102 (#569397)
• Repunched Date: FS-301 (#38253)
• Die Clash: FS-401/901 (#569400)

Fancy 5

• Repunched Date: FS-301 (#38259-#38261), FS-302 (#38262-#38264), FS-303 (#38265-38267).
• Misplaced Date: FS-304 (#38268-38270), FS-305 (#569403-#569405). 

 

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