Unoffical Restrike of 1860

Due to the popularity and demand for the 1804 Draped Bust Large Cent (Penny) - An unofficial restrike of this coin was produced in 1860. This odd coin was produced by muling two different dies together. The obverse featured a modified cracked and rusted 1803 die. The reverse features a die used in 1820. The two designs were never meant to be together and the coin was not officially struck by the US Mint. The US Mint was known for tossing their broken dies and selling them as scrap. A man named Joseph J. Mickley is known for purchasing such dies and making low quality restrikes using "muled" combinations of various dies. Many believe Mickley is responsible for this particular variety and others believe John W. Haseltine was instead responsible for the restrikes.