1794 Large Cent

This is one of my not so recent purchases. I really like this coin as I always wanted one with the lettered edge. It looks a whole lot better in hand. The pictures focused more on the corrosion than the details which are very noticeable and bold in hand. What would you grade this at and is there anybody out there that can attribute it? Thanks

 

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I have a 1794, but not as granular. Is this a scan? Scanning brings out all defects and makes everything look worse. I treated mine with VerdiCare and the appearance improved. I would guess this to be AG.

 

From what I see looks like a good chance at being an S-65. When you see those very heavy denticals at the lower left and weack at upper right on a later 1794 the first thing you should start thinking is obv 26 S-64, 65, or NC-6. NC-6 is extremely rare, S-64 is rare, and 65 is one of the most common of the 94's.

 

Very nice pickup, Alot of history in that coin

 

way too rough to have any spot in my collection. I like VG+ coins.

 

I can see why you though obverse 26, but it's not. The missing dentil's do not quite line up. Plus, the S64 has a missing fraction bar, this one has one. The S65 has two berries on the stem left of the bow, this one has one. The NC6 has major swelling on the reverse, this one does not.

I was thinking S32, as it has weak dentilation on the right side of the obverse, but the reverse of both S32 and S33 have two berries to the left of the bow. The s34/S35/NC1 only has one, but the reverse really does not look like these, the right bow tip is not at the correct angle. The mystery continues.

 

I dont see anything!!!!

 

Call me crazy, but the reverse looks like it's the reverse for S36/37/38. One berry left of the bow, nice even spacing on the bow tips around the fraction, right wreath tip pointing lined up with the right leg of A. There are only two 94 reverse dies with a single berry left of the bow, and of those only the reverse M from S36/37/38 bow matches up correction.

The s38 has a huge die chip in the obverse field, so that is out. The rest of the obverse is pretty tough to tell.

I am going to take a stab and say S36. On the S36 the third to last lock sticks out further then the second to last lock. On the S37, the third to last and second to last line up. It's tough to tell with the corrosion, but it looks like the third to last lock is longer.

Wait for confirmation, but an S36 would be quite a find, it's rare at R5.

 

I take it either you are a very rich man, or you don't really collect large cents

 

Now that I keep looking, I think it may be the S37. I really don't know, but pretty sure it's reverse M, with the single berry. Either way, the S36 is R5 and the S37 is R6.

 

Then I guess it is a good thing he did not buy it for your collection.

Take some time and look. There are details hiding but they are there.

I do not think it is a 32 or 33. I can clearly see two berries under the A and the wreath tends to point to the U and almost to the A. I think it looks like a S-65, but I can't be positive.

 

Snap-1 has the two berries I see under the A and Snap 2 shows how the wreath ends when extended point to what I think are the S-65. But who knows I have been know to be wrong - well a lot of times.

 

in my large cent collection, any EF-40 or lower is sold in auctions.

 

The reverse of S65 does not have two berries under the A like that. There are two, but they are offset from each other.This coin has reverse M. Single berry left of bow.

 

Very nice! For a lot of early dates ef40 is CC level, I would love to see what you have.

 

Congratulations on a rare find. This is indeed the Reverse M (Sheldon) and the Obverse is 17 making it the S-38 and R5+. While the corrosion is severe, the bottoms of the date are visible and the locations relative to the dentils make the obverse identification highly confident. Note how the 1, 7 and 4 all point between dentils. The 9 is higher than on S-37 which is similar.

As beef1020 indicated for Reverse M, there is only one berry left of the loops. The berry stems are particularly lengthy. Also, there is an unusually large gap or space between the stem and ribbon on the left and the central wreath stem bisects the area between the right stem and ribbon knot on the right.

Example from the Holmes Sale:

 

You have better eyes than I do. Is the die chip on S38 lost in the corrosion here, or is the chip missing on the earliest state of S38?

Now that I look at the S38 obverse, the three dentils above the cap do match this one, and do not match S36 or S37.

 

Die State I of S-38 has the outer Die Chip almost repaired and invisible according to Breen. This would be a good indication that this is a State I. But the inner chip has to be lost in the corrosion. This is the third time this die was reworked and re-annealed. The alternative is that the inner chip was also repaired and broke quickly which might make this precede State I.

 

Thanks you guys for all the information. I don't mind the coin in this grade, because I really like it and it will always be mine :smile

 

I was just getting ready to post that I thought you were correct on the S36 when I noticed a second page of replies. I can't see the date either. Then I saw Marshalls post with with S-38. So I checked one of my favorites sites and he has only the S-38 and with the die chip barely visible. Cool pickup.