Freshly dug 1794 Liberty Cap Large Cent

This was dug about a half a mile from my home yesterday evening. It's a shame that it's corroded, but given the amount of circulation it DID'NT see, I would hope to be in such fine shape after 200 plus years in the ground.

Any clue how much she might be worth with the environmental damage?

Nightowl

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

Id say its probably worth about $175-$200 most likely. That is a nice find, wow!!!

 

I had never had one of these in my hand. This is one THICK coin. It does have the lettered edge.

Nightowl

 

1794 head of 1794 Large Cent...
Mintage of 918,521 in all Kinds, which includes
1794 Head of 73', Head of 74', Head Of 75', and then the rebook also states a Starred Reverse, and a Fraction bar...

anyway, your coin is worth around $200 at least
G-VG Details, corroded... I think ANACS would give it G6 Details Corrosion

 

It's amazing....the US Post Office was founded in 1794, and our little town was only 13 years old. That's what's amazing. This thing very likely laid in the ground through the civil war, 2 world wars, the great depression.

1794 was the year that Marie Antionette "lost her head"

Nightowl

 

Well, you found a piece of history my friend...If coins could talk...

 

With all due respect....technical grade is closer to AU than to G-VG

Nightowl

 

A lot of detail, but don't get too carried away...
That coin would never grade that high...
I can see it possible to have a F15 Corrosion, and maybe as high as VF20, but I can't see a whole lot higher...
The reverse is not only corroded, but a lot is worn off, unreadable...
The obverse is very nice, more towards VF/EF, but the reverse holds you back

 

Net grade yes....I agree. The corrosion really knocks it down, but look at the slabs on ebay. The "details" of the hair..even the pupil of Miss Liberty's eye...that's all "gone" at VG details.

The reverse isn't worn IMHO...just terribly corroded. "one cent" is the first thing to go, and the lettering is still sharp

Nightowl

 

Oh yeah, for sure...
The obverse looks more of a VF-AU, really does... The eye, and hair near eye line, and down lower are so perfect with the detail...
But that dang reverse, not all clear and visible...
Nice find either way! :thumb:

 

I'm tickled to death to have found it...make no mistake. Can you imagine minting 918,000 coins "one at a time" with a screw press?

Nightowl

 

I'm already tired...And now I'm thinking about working... LOL

Well, think about it this way, wouldn't you love to see each and every coin, made with such beauty and detail, knowing that you help make it
That would be worth it for me..As long as I got to keep some of them, of course! LOL

 

I know they say "never clean your coins"....but there was no other option in this case. This is after hydrogen peroxide.

The bottom picture is the first picture I took of the obverse, fresh from the dirt. Even with that much encrustation, you can see it's a Liberty Cap.

the first picture here...is halfway through removing the crust.

 

Uhhhhh....
What just happened? You being serious? Now I'm scared... lol

 

Those are "before" pictures.....not "after". I'd slit my wrists if I did that to it.

Nightowl

 

Oh, I thought those were after... I was thinking, how in the @#%#?

Well, I'm actually kinda glad you cleaned it... I mean it had no value at all when you found it, and it just got about $200 worth just by putting it in some hydrogen peroxide!
I would have done same thing

 

You have to remove the crud....or else you have nothing. The trick is knowing when to stop. I could remove the rest of the verdigris from the reverse, but the cost would be even further loss of detail, so I am going to stop right where it is now.

Nightowl

 

Good idea, it looks great the way it is!

 

After the hydrogen peroxide....I soaked it in Tarnex. That's what really removed the verdigris. When they're this bad....it's a nothin' from nothin' leaves nothin' proposition, so you do the best you can. NCS charges 150 dollars an hour....so it wouldn't have been worth my money to pay for their time.

Nightowl

 

How many have walked without noticing it ! Awesome find...