Discussion in coin chat started by car123, sep 8, 2012. Jul 16, 2015 denis loring sale of 1793 cents and other early copper by heritage auctions. Pcgscertified 1793 s4 chain cent sets record price for u. The chain cent was americas first large cent and the first circulating coin officially produced by the united states mint. There was little of real numismatic use in it, and initially i declined to put anything in the esylum. This particular coin was not only produced for one single year, it was the first coin produced by the us mint using its own equipment and facilities. Home auctionarchive half cents large cents chain cents 1793 chain cent america pcgs fr02 bn back to searchbrowse page for a larger image, click on lower right hand corner. The 1793 chain cents were the first coins struck at the philadelphia mint for circulation. For draped bust large cents and after, prices range from the low end of good4 to mintstate65. Although this piece has surface marks and a few rim bruises, the surfaces. The libertas americana medal was probably more the inspiration for the 1793 liberty cap design on the half cent and cent than the chain cent. Jun 14, 2019 the 1793 chain cent is one of the first coins american collectors began acquiring in the 1800s.
The subtitle is an illustrated history of the federal coinage. Get the best deals on 1793 chain cent when you shop the largest online selection at. Unfollow 1793 chain cent to stop getting updates on your ebay feed. The chain cent get its name from the interlocking chain with 15 links on its reverse. The very first coin the mint struck was the 1793 chain cent. Mint struck its first onecent coinsthen the size of todays halfdollars and 100percent copperin 1793, americans continued to use the british term out of habit. When the mint was created in 1792, it immediately began working on a currency for the young nation. In early american cents, sheldon discussed the recent sales of examples that traded hands in the 1940s. Flowing hair cents 1793 price guide and values ngc.
Typecoin971793 just a random nobody who doesnt know anything. Early american copper coin project american numismatic. In 1793, chain cents, wreath cents and liberty cap cents were minted. Ag 3 about good the date and all of the devices are clear enough to identify. This first variety of the shortlived chain cent features an abbreviation of ameri. Walter breens encyclopedia of united states cents 1793 1814 by walter breen and mark borckardt. The reverse, with america spelled in full, appears on s2, s3, s4, and nc1. It were struck during late february and early march 1793.
Today, the 1793 chain cent remains a highly sought after piece of history. The 1793 wreath cent had a mintage of 63,353, and it is definitely more available than the lowermintage 1793 chain reverse cent. Dec 18, 1977 it is called united states type coins, and was written by norman stack. The initial designs, which can be found on large cents minted in 1793, was very simplistic in its design. Unlike most chain cents, libertyas hair and the date are distinct. While most estimates suggest there are fewer than 200 surviving examples of the nations first large cent, many issues of the heftier predecessor to todays smallsize one cent. The reverse of this 1793 chain cent is sharper than the obverse, which is typical for the type. There are three exceptional 1793 s4 chain periods cents that rank at the top of the bland and noyes condition censuses, although their exact rank is subject to differing opinions. On march 18, 1793, an edition of philadelphia newspaper the mail, or claypooles daily advertiser, wrote.
Two of four known strawberry leaf large cents sell in the fun. This beautiful cent would replace the wreath design, making its debut in the fall of 1793. The first cents coined by the united states mint for general circulation were the chain cents of 1793. It were struck during late february and early march 1793 with only approximately 36,103 pieces minted. Chain cents were the first mass produced, regular issue coins stuck at the fledgling us mint. Liberty cap cents continued to be minted until 1796, though liberty cap cents with a beaded border were struck only in 1793. Us 1793 flowing hair chain reverse cent history coin. In the prefederal era, copper coins were commonplace, but there was little distinction made among what the populace called coppers, a catchall term for coins of roughly halfpenny size that varied widely in weight, origin, and size. Note that when i mention a grade like g4 that means the coin is problem free never cleaned, not pitted, or damaged in any way. This fascinating series has probably been avidly collected longer than any other.
Struck during the first year of regular coinage production at the united states mint in philadelphia, its design was criticized in the year of issue, but has come to be cherished by modern collectors. Top collectors obviously realized that and went after it accordingly. Although this piece has surface marks and a few rim bruises, the surfaces display nice detail and appealing chocolatebrown color. The chain cent was struck in february and march 1793.
Us 1793 flowing hair wreath reverse cent history coin. A total of 36,103 were coined from february 27 to march 12, 1793. Benjamin rush kept a daily log of the weather in 1793 as part of his published study of yellow fever. One year, one mintage, and this is an extremely rare and valuable coin.
Sheldon and include sheldon varieties one through four, as well as nc1 nc stands for noncollectable, meaning a great. And if i remember correctly the libertas americana medal was also the brainchild of franklin. Your fugio cent reverse picture is of one of the new haven restrikes that came much later. One was designed by him at the urging of thomas jefferson, the famous silvercenter cent. Born in 1793 and immediately a source of controversy, the big pennies have been thru several redesigns and resizes, including no less than 3 designs in their first year. With that said, however, the design of this singlecent coin changed many times throughout its long time in production. By the time the 1793 cent was issued, there were 15 states in the union.
Home auctionarchive half cents large cents chain cents 1793 chain cent america pcgs vg08 bn back to searchbrowse page for a larger image, click on lower right hand corner. The second finest example is the parmelee coin that was illustrated in the 1991 noyes photo book. As far as the coins design is concerned, the large cent always kept things simple. All right gang here we have a brief, very brief, historical segment about the 1793 chain cent. Pattern one cent pieces were struck at a different location in 1792. Two of four known strawberry leaf large cents sell in the. Us 1793 flowing hair wreath reverse cent history coin community. History and information about the 1793 half cent in gem. Brief history of the 1793 chain cent rthe mintutia. The eliasberg 1793 s4 with periods chain cent, the third finest pcgs certified example, is considered the third finest of the s4 cents, and carries a provenance back to 1864. When the united states declared war in 1812 against great britain, coinage was affected.
However, the first regular coins struck by the federal government on its own machinery and within its own premises were the 36,103 chain cents struck in the first twelve days of march of 1793. Shop our large selection of precious metals products today. If this were an investment vehicle, you could say it grew at an annual rate of 8. First struck in 1793, the large cent was coined every year from 1793 to 1857 except 1815. The ajn stated a 1793 cent was sold for 10 cents, it may have been poor. With that said, however, the design of this single cent coin changed many times throughout its long time in production. The first official mintage of the large cent was in 1793, and its production continued until 1857, when it was officially replaced by the modernsize onecent coin commonly called the penny. Pcgs flowing hair large cents 17931796 for sale ebay. Walter breens encyclopedia of early united states cents 17931814 by walter breen gordon wrubel. Without a doubt, the 1793 chain cent buy on ebay is amongst most famous and shortestlived issues of american coinage ever produced. History and information about the 1793 half cent in gem condition. Grading standards for the flowing hair chain reverse. As with the fugio cent, the chain cent was made of copper and featured a chain symbolizing the linking together of the states of the united states. These bore a crude profile bust of liberty on their obverse and a circle of fifteen interlocking chain links representing the number of states at that time on their reverse.
An example image of this variety is depicted above. One was designed by him at the urging of thomas jeffersonthe famous silvercenter cent. The liberty cap cents of 1793 1795 were a primary target and individuals asked many a bank for the privilege of going through stocks of copper coins. Periods follow the date and liberty on the obverse of the s4 chain cent. The first ever copper coins struck for general circulation by the united states mint were the 1793 chain cents. The plate coin in walter breens encyclopedia of early united states cents 17931814. One major variety of the 1793 flowing hair large cent penny features the word ameri. Discussion in us coins forum started by typecoin971793, jun, 2017. Thus when a coin of such historical importance and limited availability comes to the market it creates much interest. It was the first large scale production of the united states mint in any metal. It was this design that served as the model for the chain cent of 1793. As far as the coins design is concerned, the large cent always.
Volume 10, number 31, august 5, 2007, article 26 1793 chain cent, 1889 indian cent finds fuel newspaper articles earlier this week there was a short associated press article about a 1793 chain cent found by a woman in her garden. There is a strong demand among copper specialists for the 1793 coinage, and the past few years have seen a strong increase in the value of such coins, the 1793 liberty cap cent in particular. The first coin to consider is the chain cent of 1793. Flowing hair large cent is one of the best of all us coin values. The historical keystone in any american cent collection, the chain ameri. Public criticism of the motif arose because many deemed the chain to be a symbol of slavery, and it was replaced later in the year with eckfeldts wreath. Grading chain cents 1793 coin certification company. The chain was meant to symbolize unity, but thats not how it was viewed. This well struck 1793 chain cent is the period after date variety. After there was a public outcry against chain cents, a new. Jan 09, 2015 in this undated photo provided by heritage auctions, a 1793dated penny is shown.
Varieties of large cents of the years 17931794 unbound united states large cents 17931794 by william c. Apmex offers large cents 1793 1857 at competitive precious metals prices. As the table above demonstrates, the 1793 chain ameri. The liberty cap cents are not only coins with an inherent beauty unto themselves, but there is very interesting numismatic story behind them. This chain cent has a close cousin of nearly equal rarity and importance, the 1793 america variety, where no abbreviation is used. The first design, known as the 1793 chain cent, features a lowrelief head of liberty with fine, flowing locks of hair. The united states large cent was a coin with a face value of 1100 of a united states dollar. The wartime embargo against shipments made it so the mint could not get any new copper planchets, which were imported from great britain, to strike coins. The reverse shows a chain of fifteen links, connected in a neverending loop. The 1793 half cents were struck in the summer of 1793, but their story begins years earlier. Chain cents were the first one cent coins struck by the u.
In 1793, democracy was still a struggling and unproven form of government. Soon after the chain cents hit the streets of philadelphia in march of 1793, it stirred controversy. These are attributed to the book penny whimsy by dr. Coinfacts is an indepth online encyclopedia of united states coins. Dec 02, 20 a case can be made that the 1792 half dismes, the silvercenter cents, or the birch cents were the first coins struck by the united states. The reverse had an interlocking chain motif with each link representing one of the original thirteen colonies. Flowing hair large cents the very first federal coin ever struck by the united states mint for mass circulation was the 1793 ameri chain large cent. Flowing hair cent chain reverse photos, mintage, designers, weights, diameters, varieties, and much more.
It was not the first circulating coin produced by the united states, which was the fugio cent of 1787 also known as the franklin cent, based on the continental dollar. Soon after all the criticism and the fear for the closure of the united states mint. Prior to that, there had been a few us coins produced, but by private mints. The 1793 sheldon nc1 chain cent is a rare us one cent coin, struck for a limited period of time following contemporary criticisms regarding the chain design on its reverse it is historically significant as being the first regular issue united states coin. As criticism of this chain cent echoed the halls of congress, the pennsylvania gazette reported in march of 1793, liberty appears to be in a fright. Noyes rates this piece as the finest known, even ahead of the mickleycrosby coin that some have dubbed the coin.
1356 1026 1217 1515 425 1295 1398 819 16 1528 1326 212 1193 737 1572 1396 591 987 1452 999 603 1567 1259 1282 1196 426 349 362 1350 1433 56 512 759 269 135 305 1467 1428