The copper cents of 1793-1857 were the first United States coins to attract the attention of collectors in this country. Hobbyists both casual and serious were assembling date sets by the mid-19th Century, and this activity grew exponentially after the series’ demise in 1857. By that time numismatists had become aware of the many varieties that resulted from the use of hand tools in completing each die, and large cents were also the first United States coins to be sought extensively by varieties