Small Cents vs. Large Cents: History Of The Most Popular U.S. Penny (The Small Cent) First Struck In 1856 + A List Of Rare Small Cent Pennies

The small cent penny was first minted in 1856 and includes a number of designs and rare dates that’ll make any coin collector eager to collect this dynamic denomination. The first small cent US penny was the Flying Eagle cent (1856-1858), then came the Indian Head cent (1859-1909), and finally the Lincoln cent (1909-present). Yes, our current U.S. penny is a small cent coin. They’re called small cents because Large Cent pennies with a larger diameter came before them (1793-1857).