In the early years of the US Mint, the cent underwent many changes. There were four major changes took place in the frist five years. Additionally, there were many minor variations. The Draped Bust image on the cent and other coins gave a sense of stability to U.S. coinage (lasting around 10 years.

Vital Stats.

"Classic Head" One Cent

Totally unimpressed with this, in 1807 Mint Director wrote President Thomas Jefferson asking permission to hire a German imigrant John Reich as assistant to the aging engraver Robert Scot. Reichs was very shortly promoted to second engraver and given the assignment of redesigning the coinage from the half cent to half eagle, essentially all US coinage.

The copper used in this period was of a higher quality, with much fewer metallic impurities than usual. For this reason, they were softer and would wear and corrode more quickly than issues before or since. As a result, high-grade specimens are particularly difficult to obtain and command a much higher premium.

They also appear on market less frequently, especially with red or red-brown mint luster.

A shortage of planchets halted production in 1815, the Mint made no cents with that date. In 1816, when production resumed, the cent bore Robert Scot's new and undistinguished "Matron Head" design.

The "Classic Head" name was not given the coin until the 1860's. It derives the name from the fillet worn by Liberty on the obverse. A fillet on "Lady Liberty" seems a bit out of place since it was worn only by male athletes in "the Classic Period" of ancient Greece.