1794 1/2C, BN MS(PCGS#1003)

Summer 2026 Global Showcase Auction U.S. Coins

Auctioneer

Stack's Bowers

Lot Number

2012

Grade

AU55BN

Price

13,420

Lot Description

Manley Die State 3.0, Fuhrman Die State 3. Satiny olive-copper surfaces with hints of faded mint red color faintly evident around some of the design elements, especially those near the upper obverse and reverse borders. Both sides are microscopically rough with scattered small marks, most natural to the planchet and as made, and there are no singularly distracting blemishes apart from a faint spot out of the way at the lower right obverse border. The eye appeal further benefits from a well centered strike that has imparted bold to sharp detail to most major design elements. Softness here and there around the peripheries is largely confined to the denticulation; a thin planchet cutter mark at the reverse border outside the letters ICA in AMERICA is as made.<p>The accepted mintage for this issue is 81,600 coins, achieved in five deliveries during early to mid 1794:<p>-February 22: 10,000 coins<p>-June 4: 16,000 coins<p>-June 26: 16,000 coins<p>-June 27: 16,000 coins<p>-July 8: 23,600 coins<p>After determining the die emission sequence, and also considering the number of coins extant, William R. Eckberg and Ronald P. Manley were able to ascertain exactly which die pairings were included in each of the deliveries for this issue. As published in Eckberg's 2019 reference <em>The Half Cent, 1793-1857: The Story of America's Greatest Little Coin</em>, C-7, C-8 and C-9 together comprise the 23,600 coins delivered on July 8. With approximate 750 survivors in all grades, Cohen-9 is an excellent candidate to represent the High-Relief Head <em>Guide Book</em> variety of the 1794 half cent in a type set. It is not, however, the most common variety of the 1794 half cent as once thought, for that honor now goes to the C-4 Normal Head. The two dozen or so high grade examples of the 1794 C-9 in numismatic hands are split fairly evenly between About Uncirculated and Mint State grades. This handsome NGC-certified Choice AU is sure to find its way into an advanced cabinet.