1794 1C Head of 1794, BN MS(PCGS#901374)

Spring 2026 Showcase Auction U.S. Coins

Auctioneer

Stack's Bowers

Lot Number

3005

Grade

MS64+BN

Price

49,200

Lot Description

Heck DS2, Breen Die State II. Superb medium brown patina with tinges of faded mint orange color remaining in the protected areas around many of the design elements, especially on the reverse. The texture is hard and frosty overall, trace of original planchet roughness remaining on the reverse at the letters IT in UNITED (which are softly defined). The appearance is smooth and attractive with no significant marks or other blemishes. Impressively sharp over the design elements with crisp delineation between virtually all of the individual strands of Liberty's hair. The strike is drawn trivially to 2:30 on the obverse, 3 o'clock on the reverse, both sides with little to no denticulation along the right borders. Otherwise the denticles are crisp and pronounced.<p>The dies for Sheldon-31 were prepared using one of Robert Scot's device punches for Liberty, a reimagining of the Liberty Cap motif introduced by Joseph Wright in 1793, itself a close copy of Augustus Dupre's famous Libertas Americana medal. This is one of the most plentiful die marriages in the entire Liberty Cap cent series, and a number of attractive About Uncirculated and Mint State copies occupy the uppermost tiers in the Condition Census. The present example is missing from the Bland census (2000), but it was included in the 2006 Noyes census with a ranking of CC#7. The more modern Noyes/Lusk Early Copper Database had revised this ranking to CC#13, but in any event it is a visually stunning and highly desirable example of both the type and Sheldon number. Whether you are a high grade type collector or advanced specialist in early copper varieties, this beautiful Liberty Cap large cent is worthy of serious consideration, and also very strong bids.