1793 “Chain Cent”

This undated photo provided by Heritage Auctions shows the front and back of one of the first pennies struck at the United States Mint in Philadelphia. This 1793 “Chain Cent” sold for a record $1,380,000 in a public auction conducted by Heritage Auctions at a coin collector’s convention in Orlando, Fla. on Jan. 4. The linking rings on the back of the coin were intended to represent the original 13 colonies, but critics claimed the chain was symbolic of slavery and the design was quickly changed with a wreath replacing the chain.