Some coins are just plain fun and the stories surrounding the
1814 large cent put it in that group. The stories just help to
make an otherwise pretty good date even better. The 1814 large
cent, as well as those from 1808, started out with something of
a problem as the group is simply not of the same quality as
earlier dates or those that followed. Apparently the copper was
softer and did not wear as well. That makes these dates tougher
to find in better grades. The 1814 had a mintage of 357,830, and
that total was divided by varieties with either a plain or a
crosslet “4,” although both are priced basically at the same
level. The times were unsettled to say the least. The War of
1812 would not help when it came to copper shipments and the
operation of the Mint. 1815 saw, for the first and only time, no
cent production because of a copper shortage. One of the stories
surrounding the 1814 is that it is unavailable in full red
condition because it was used to pay Mint workers’ back wages in
December of that year