Early U.S. Coins: The 1792 Birch Cent
Although the first official U.S. coins were struck in 1793, there were many pattern coins minted before choosing the ideal coin designs to represent our country. A pattern coin is a coin that has not been approved for release but has been struck specifically for the purpose of evaluating the design. These pattern coins are struck in minuscule quantities and often have mintages in the single digits.