I went to the monthly show today expecting to pick up some early large cents so I can continue to work on my identification and research skills with the copy of Penny Whimsy. There is a dealer who has been there for the last few months who stocks piles and piles of large cents and hundreds of culls. The way I've been figuring it is that if I want to find rare types, R4 and better, the best way to do it is to pick up large cents that can be identified through pick up points and diagnostics that aren't completely destroyed. So I told him I wanted to look through every low grade he had and select a few to work on my skills. He said, buy more than a few and we'd work a group price. So I went through and sorted and picked out 6 that I thought I could identify, we settled on $100 for the whole group. Fast forward to this afternoon when I picked through them and set them out how I wanted to identify them, in which order I mean, and I started right in on this one, which was 2x2'd as a 179?. The clearish LIBERTY and the average reverse caused me to pick it out in the first place. I also thought that I could make out the top of the curve of what appeared to be a 6. But I thought, thought mind you, that the LIBERTY might be a LIHERTY. I knew from my reading that the LIHERTY was an error, but I couldn't remember which year it was, 1796 or 1797, so I looked it up and it turns out this it is the 1796, which both the S-103 and the S-104 were LIHERTY errors. Which only served to confirm my thoughts on the 6 I thought I could see. (You cannot make out the 7 and half of the 9 that are visible on the coin in the pictures as it takes angle manipulation to see them as well as with the top of the 6The reverse confirmed this is the S-103 which is either an R-3+ or R-4 depending on where I look. But hey for the price I think I really nailed down a great coin.
Obviously just my opinion, I think you have a really good chance of it being a LIHERTY. The reverse is correct, but the majority of draped busts were that one. The bottom of the B does appear to have to H effect on it, but the top doesn't look right. regardless though, the value of the LIHERTY cent is really only a big deal at higher grades. I would send it to a top tier grading company and have it looked at by an error specialist. I don't know whats with the scratches on the date. That may render it ungradable.
Actually, the reverse of 1794 is only found on ten reverses in the draped bust series. All of those reverses are 1796s.
right, the 1796 reverse. that's what this coin is. red book has an excellent page on this coin. not sure what you're referring to.
I think you have yourself an S-103 which is the scarcer of the two LIHERTY varieties an rated R4+ in CQR. S-103 has a distinct double leaf at OF, as opposed to S-104 which has a triplet there. The double leafs on yours is still clearly visible. So congratulations! In this condition, your coin is worth certainly more than what you paid for the lot.
The cents of 1796 have four different reverse types. The reverse of 1795 and 1796 are known by their single leaves at the top of tea wreath, while the reverses of 1794 and 1797 have a double leaf at the top right of the wreath. The reverses of 1794 and 1797 can be further differentiated by the number of leaves in the branch below the O in OF. In 1794 there are two leaves in 1797, three. Because this coin has a double leaf at the top right and a double leaf under the O, it is classified as a reverse of 1794. Given that there are 28 die marriages in 1796 knowing which of the four reverses you are looking at is an important factor in figuring out the sheldon number. Www.largecents.net has a great photo library for comparison, which I've found to be a good resource when used in conjunction with Penny Whimsy.
As mentioned earlier, it is a reverse of 94. However, the leaves at the top right are not what make it so and I believe the Redbook does a disservice by indicating otherwise. I wrote out a post concerning the identification of 1796 reverses and I'll see if I can locate it. Here it is: http://www.cointalk.com/threads/large-cent-reverses-of-1796.211833/ I believe you have the S-101, but it isn't worth the price of submission, It will come back as a details grade or genuine, depending on the service. The reverse is right, but the HWH is further left than on the S-103. I also I believe the crack of the S-101 right of the date can be made out. Maybe not. Here are some Comparison Coins: http://www.icollector.com/1796-S-101-R5-Draped-Bust-VF20_i8599195 S-101 http://www.icollector.com/1796-S-102-R4-Draped-Bust-EF40_i8599196 S-102 Easiest to eliminate. http://www.icollector.com/1796-S-103-R4-Draped-Bust-with-LIHERTY-Obverse-EF4_i8599197 S-103 OK! Now I'm back to the S-103 because of the more pronounced dip between the HWH and the SHWH of the S-103. This will test the limits of even experienced guys like myself. Either way, it is a good find since the S-101 is actually rarer at R5-.
It is definitely the rev of 94, so it has to be 101,102 or 103. the HWH is way to far left under the R to be 102. To me the LI and ER appear to be too close together to be 101 and the JHF is too far right below the T. Also on 101 the E is noticeably below the arc curve formed by the bases of LIB and that does not seem to be the case with this coin. I'm leaning toward 103.
I'll defer to your view. I can't make up my mind. The crack I thought I saw turns out to be a planchet defect on the comp coin I was using.
Wow, I'm embarrassed. I totally looked at the wrong part of the coin. That's why I used the qualifier "my opinion" haha. Anyway, taught me something, so that's pretty cool.
One should never be embarrassed as long as he remains willing to learn. Trial and error is an established method of learning. Keep plugging away.
