1855 Large Cent - 1855 1c, Upright 55, PCGS MS64 BN CAC. This near-Gem, slate-brown 1855 Large Cent has Upright 55s as part of its date. Traces of red outline Libertys head and some of the reverse lettering. The colors show the coins originality. The glossy surfaces are hard and clean with no abrasion marks visible without magnification. The strike is above average with full details on the coronet and the leaves of the wreath. Unlike many cents of this date, there are no flakes on the planchet to interrupt the luster. The CAC sticker indicates that this is a premium quality coin that fully deserves the designated grade. The scuff mark in front of Libertys neck is on the holder not the coin.

Designed by Christian Gobrecht, the coin shows Liberty facing left in profile. She wears a LIBERTY inscribed coronet and her hair is tied in beads. She is surrounded by thirteen six-pointed stars with the date below. The reverse shows a closed wreath of laurel within which is the denomination written on two lines as ONE CENT. Around the wreath is the inscription UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. Dentils are on both sides of the coin, and the edge is plain.

The Braided Hair Large Cent was first introduced in 1839. It was similar to the design Gobrecht created for the eagle of 1838. For all of the dates after 1843, Libertys head is aligned in a vertical position and large. The result is that these are not as delicate in appearance as when first issued. They were made in large quantities and circulated until the late 1850s.

Gobrecht was the third Chief Engraver at the United States Mint. He was born in Hanover, Pennsylvania in 1785. His father was a German immigrant, and his mother traced her ancestry to the early settlers of Plymouth, Massachusetts. Gobrecht married Mary Hewes in 1818. One of his early positions was as an engraver of clocks in Baltimore. Later he went to Philadelphia where he became a banknote engraver. He invented a machine that allowed one to convert a three-dimensional medal into an illustration. This was an excellent job and Gobrecht was understandably reluctant to work for the Mint for less money than he was making at the engraving firm.

In order to persuade him to leave, Mint Director Robert Patterson prevailed upon Chief Engraver William Kneass, who had had a stroke, to take less in salary so more money would be available to hire Gobrecht on a permanent basis. In 1826 Gobrecht did his first work for the Mint as an assistant to Kneass. After Kneass stroke, Gobrecht did all the die and pattern work for the Mint. He became Chief Engraver in 1840 and served until his death in 1844. He was famous for his Liberty Seated motif, which was used for all denominations of silver coinage including the half-dime, dime, quarter dollar, half dollar and silver dollar. He also designed the Liberty Head gold eagle, a motif that was also used on the half-cent, the cent, the gold quarter eagle, and the gold half eagle. 

In its population report, as of June 2013, CAC has confirmed 11 1855 Large Cents Upright 55s at the MS64BN level.