Most two cent pieces are worth about $15 to $40 in worn, common-date condition. The two cent piece was a bronze coin struck from 1864 to 1873.
That range covers the common dates most people find, especially the high-mintage 1864 and 1865 issues. Two varieties sit well above it: the 1864 Small Motto starts near $300 in worn condition, and the low-mintage 1872 starts near $280. This guide covers every date, the motto varieties, and how to tell them apart. Value ranges below are approximate and were checked on November 3, 2026; individual coins vary with grade, color, and certification.
Two Cent Piece Quick Facts
The two cent piece was a Civil War coin. Hoarding had pulled gold, silver, and even copper coins out of circulation, and Congress authorized this new bronze denomination in 1864 to put small change back into pockets. It holds a permanent place in U.S. coinage history: it was the first U.S. coin to carry the motto IN GOD WE TRUST, a motto later added to nearly every other denomination. The design — a Union shield with crossed arrows and a wreath — came from Mint engraver James B. Longacre, who also designed the Flying Eagle cent and the Indian Head cent.
| Specification | Detail |
|---|---|
| Years struck | 1864–1873 (1873 was proof-only) |
| Composition | 95% copper, 5% tin and zinc (bronze) |
| Weight | 6.22 grams |
| Diameter | 23 mm |
| Designer | James B. Longacre |
| Mint | Philadelphia only — no mintmark |
| Claim to fame | First U.S. coin to bear IN GOD WE TRUST |
| Discontinued | Coinage Act of 1873 |
Small Motto vs. Large Motto: The 1864 Variety That Matters
Every 1864 two cent piece is one of two motto varieties, and the difference is worth hundreds of dollars. On the Small Motto coins, struck first, the letters of IN GOD WE TRUST are noticeably smaller and thinner. On the Large Motto coins that followed, the letters are larger and bolder. The Large Motto is the common version; the Small Motto is scarce in every grade and is the first variety most collectors look for. Check any 1864 coin against a known Large Motto example before pricing it — the variety, not the date alone, sets the value.
Two Cent Piece Key Dates and Values
Mintages fell almost every year after 1865 as the public lost interest in the odd denomination, so the later dates are the scarce ones. The 1872 is the key circulation strike, and the 1873 was made only as a proof for collectors.
| Date / Variety | Mintage | Approximate Value Behavior |
|---|---|---|
| 1864 Large Motto (common) | Part of 19,847,500 struck in 1864 | The common first-year coin. Roughly $15 in Good condition, $65 or more in Very Fine, and $125 or more in About Uncirculated. |
| 1864 Small Motto | A small share of the 1864 mintage | The key variety. Roughly $300 or more in Good condition and $650 or more in Very Fine. |
| 1865 (common) | 13,640,000 | The highest-mintage date and the cheapest way into the series. Roughly $15 in Good condition and $60 or more in Very Fine. |
| 1866–1871 (later common dates) | Falling each year, from about 2.2 million down to about 721,000 | Moderately scarcer than the first two years. Commonly about $20 to $30 in Good condition, rising with grade. |
| 1872 | 65,000 | The key circulation strike and the last year made for commerce. Roughly $280 or more in Good condition and $600 or more in Very Fine. |
| 1873 | Proof only — about 600 to 1,100 struck | A proof-only collector issue. Genuine originals commonly start around $1,600 or more; certification is essential at this level. |
One grading note matters more on this series than on most: color. Uncirculated two cent pieces are graded as Red, Red-Brown, or Brown, and a full Red coin can be worth several times a Brown coin of the same date and technical grade. Cleaned and recolored coins lose that premium entirely, which is why original, untouched surfaces are the whole game on better pieces.
What a Two Cent Piece Is Made Of — and Why Melt Does Not Matter
A two cent piece is bronze: 95% copper with tin and zinc making up the rest, the same alloy family as the era’s Indian Head cents. Its copper content is worth only a few cents as metal, so melt value plays no role in pricing — condition, date, motto variety, and color set the price. That is the opposite of the silver coinage of the same years, where melt forms a real floor; for a size-and-metal comparison inside the same Civil War era, see our guide to the silver half dime, and for the bronze coin that ran alongside it for three decades, the large cent it helped replace in everyday change.
Shop Copper
Original two cent pieces trade on the collector market, but modern copper in the same spirit — struck rounds and bars — is a staple of our in-stock inventory:
Checked November 3, 2026: both products above were in stock at the time of writing.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is a two cent piece worth?
Most two cent pieces are worth about $15 to $40 in worn, common-date condition. The 1864 Small Motto variety starts near $300, the 1872 starts near $280, and proof-only 1873 coins start around $1,600.
What is the rarest two cent piece?
The 1873 two cent piece is the rarest by mintage, struck only as a proof in a mintage of roughly 600 to 1,100 pieces. Among coins made for circulation, the 1872 — just 65,000 struck — is the scarcest date.
How can I tell a Small Motto from a Large Motto 1864?
Compare the motto lettering above the shield. Small Motto letters are smaller and thinner; Large Motto letters are larger and bolder. The Small Motto version is worth several times more, so compare against a confirmed example.
Are two cent pieces made of silver?
No. Two cent pieces are bronze — 95% copper and 5% tin and zinc. Their metal value is only a few cents, so their worth is almost entirely collector value.
What years were two cent pieces made?
Two cent pieces were struck at the Philadelphia Mint from 1864 to 1873. Production for circulation ended after 1872; the 1873 issue was proof-only, and the denomination was abolished by the Coinage Act of 1873.
Educational content only — not financial advice.