Stealing the idea from Marshall's thread concerning his new 1794 Large Cent, can anyone attribute the obverse and reverse of this LC I purchased a few months ago?
I thought I should be able to attribute this particular coin by sight alone, and I was right: it is S-65, the so-called 'Shielded Hair' with a broad and deep border at lower left on the obverse which prevented excessive wear on the obverse. This is a very distinctive feature among 1794 LCs. S-65 pairs obverse 26 with reverse GG and is rated R-1 in terms of rarity.
S-65 S-64 has the same obv, but it doesn't have the cracks through the date, and once you know the obv the rev crack left of S2 nails it as S-65. NC-6 also has this obverse but it is cracked at 9:00 on the rev and the die sank badly wiping out the central portion of the die.
It was easy for me to recognize because this coin variety is unforgettable to me (a sad story, unfotunately). It was one of the very first 94's that I bought many years ago (UK auction), but somehow lost it in one of my many moves.....will never forget the coin, it was a nice VF with beautiful deep brown/tan toning.
On a coin this nice distinguishing this S-65 from the S-64 can be seen at the fraction bar which is missing on the S-64. But on one with too much wear at the fraction, the single berry between D and S is often there on the S-65 while the S-64 has two berries. The NC-6 Has the double Dentil above the D.
I apparently need to modify identification of the NC-6. I just pulled up this Photo from the Heritage Archives of the discovery coin and it does not have the double dentil. But if the central die failure had not overwhelmed the area under the leaf at ST, the lack of any berry there will identify the difference between it and the S-65 which it closely resembles.
Sometimes you guys amaze me,I know my coins and the series of coins,but some of you guys can nail details off of memory,very impressive.
The berry under the R is probably the better diagnostic. And of course the die crack between D and S. (On 64 it goes THRU the D.) It is probably present on all the coins made with this reverse. The problem is to recognize the obv. The die misalignment that creates the massive denticals at the lower left on 64 and 65 is not as prominent on NC-6.
