National One Cent Day

National One Cent Day is celebrated by patriotic Americans on April 1st. On this day, true fans of their motherland tell children about how their state arose, how it got on its feet, and why this coin, as well as the dollar, marked the departure from belonging to Great Britain. The UK had its own smallest coin – the penny. Thus the one cent became another important step towards independence.

History

The 1-cent coin had been invented, designed and approved for release by Benjamin Franklin himself and then it was minted from copper. It was a little larger than its modern version and had some slogans on the obverse and reverse, which symbolized the goals of the new state. It was the so-called fugio-cent, so named because of the inscription in Latin Fugio. Fugio is a Latin verb, which means ‘to run away’ in the 1st person. That cent seemed to say ‘I’m running away from the rule of Great Britain’. There were also other mottos on it, for example ‘Mind your business’, in the meaning of taking care of one’s own concerns. The inscription encouraged the new citizens of America to take care of their own well-being and work hard for the future. And another (the third) inscription on the fugio-cent was We Are One. It meant the people of the new state became one not in words but in deeds. The mottos of that time and now are very relevant to modern Americans.

How to take part

• For a true patriot, this day is a good occasion to plunge into the history of the Motherland’s emergence and development, in order to understand why it became what it is now.
• This is also a good reason to learn about the conditions in which the first settlers had to live and even fight for their independence.
• One can discuss these days with like-minded people – it is just another occasion to remember the country’s history, almost the same as on Thanksgiving Day.

When is National One Cent Day celebrated in 2024?

National One Cent Day is observed on April 1 each year.

Observations