What This Coin Looks Like (Obverse, Reverse, Mint Mark Location, Special Features, etc.):

One major variety of the 1839 Coronet Head Large Cent (Penny) includes the "Silly Head" design of the portrait of lady liberty on the obverse of the coin. This is one of the newer designs of the liberty head introduced in 1839. This coin can be best identified by the addition of a lock of hair on the forehead and also the raising of the hair line above the "LIBERTY" crown. Unlike the "Booby Head" design - there is no shoulder tip featured on the "Silly Head" variety.

Depicted below is an example image showing the differences and comparisons between all 4 varieties of the 1839 large cent. Note how the hair line changes relative to the "LIBERTY" crown and the style of the hair. Also note the additional features unique to each variety pointed out by the arrows. Another easy way to distinguish the difference between the Silly Head vs Booby Head is by observing the number of beads on the first strand of beads (closest to the front of the head). The Booby Head design will have many more beads - or around 11 beads while the Silly Head will have around 7 beads. Click the image to enlarge: