A couple of early large cents that would never get a straight grade from a TPG

Here are a couple of large cents in my "one cent per year, 1793 to date collection. I bought this 1796 Draped Bust cent knowing that it would never grade because of the scratch. Still I like it. I didn't feel like paying several thousand dollars for piece in holder that would not be any sharper than this one.



I have owned the 1801 Three Errors large cent for about 40 years. I paid about $150 for it in an EAC auction. It's been cleaned but the three errors are really sharp. They are:

• The engraver didn't add the stem to the left side of the wreath.
• The engraver punched the "U" in "UNITED" upside-down and then right-side up which made it look like "II."
• The fraction is the undefined or meaningless "1/000."

Here is a close-up of the three errors.



This reverse is paired with two obverse varieties. This is the more common one, which is somewhat scarce.

 

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Always a pleasure in viewing your coins. Do you have an 1851/81 LC. I've only seen one and it was a Metal detected find but was beautifully preserved.

 

Both are beauts - nice ones.

 

both very nice coins

 

Love that 1801, that's a beauty of an error coin!

 

I don’t have one of those. I am not a die variety collector. It was the result of an error where the date was punched in up-side down and then corrected.

 

Wow @johnmilton ..... If the congress passes this ending to the cent that will be the end of an era for you!

 

I collect far more coins than just cents. The end of the cent only disappointment is that a denomination that has the most complete year set (every year from 1793 to date, excluding 1815) will come to an end. The cents were the coins that have launched the most new U.S. collectors.