A cent is typically a small coin denoting one hundredth of a larger denomination, such as one hundredth of a dollar or Euro.
In America, the cent is a copper coin stamped with various designs and issued first by the States, later by the Federal Government. Vermont was the first State to issue copper cents, having permitted in June, 1785, Reuben Harmon Jr., to make money for the State for two years. He started a mint at Rupert, Bennington County, coining the Vermont cent of 1785. This coin had on the obverse, wooded mountains and a rising sun with a plough, and the inscription Vermontis. Res. Publica. Exergue 1785. On the reverse was a ring surrounded by thirteen stars with rays springing from the circle; and the legend, Stella. Quarta. Decima.
Connecticut, in October, 1785, granted to Bishop, Hopkins, Hillhouse and Goodrich the right to coin 10,000 pounds of copper cents, known as the Connecticut cent of 1785. These had on the obverse, a mailed bust, head laureated; and the legend, Auctori. Connec. On the reverse they were marked with the goddess of Liberty grasping an olive branch in her right hand and liberty staff in her left, which was surmounted by a liberty cap; and the legend, Inde Et Lib Exergue 1785.
Massachusetts established a mint in 1786, and coined $60,000 in cents and half cents. These were marked on the obverse of the cent with a clothed Indian, in his right hand a bow, in his left an arrow; and the legend, Common + Wealth. On the reverse was marked a spread eagle, a shield on his breast bearing the word cent, his talons grasping an olive branch and a bundle of arrows; And the legend, Massachusetts, Exergue 1787, beneath a horizontal bar.
New Jersey granted to Goadsby and Cox, in 1786, the right to coin 10,000 pounds at fifteen coppers to the shilling, known as the New Jerseycopper coin of 1786. These were marked on the obverse with a horse's head, heraldic wreath and a plough; and the legend, Nova. Csesarea. Exergue 1786. On the reverse was a shield; and the legend, E Pluribus Unum.
In 1781 the Continental Congress directed Robert Morris to look into the matter of Governmental Coinage. Robert Morris proposed a money unit equal to one-fourth of a grain of fine silver, an equivalent of one-fourteen-hundred-and-fortieth of a Spanish dollar. The coin equal to one hundred of these units was to be called a cent from the Latin centum, meaning one hundred, 500 units a quint, 10,000 units a mark. These were not accepted, but in 1784 Jefferson proposed in his coinage report to Congress that 'the smallest coin be of copper, of which two hundred shall pass for one dollar'. In 1786 the hundredth was substituted. Copper cents began to be coined in the USA in 1793. In 1796 their weight was reduced and in 1857 the small nickel cent was substituted, and in 1864 the small bronze. Research Cent
Abbreviations
Research Cent
