A 1798 Large Cent, S-179
BillJones
Posts: 34,236 ✭✭✭✭✭
This 1798 large cent was my first purchase at the recently concluded FUN Convention. I first posted it in the "first purchase of 2017" string, but it got lost in the shuffle so I thought I cover it in greater detail here.
Our hosts graded this piece AU-53, and it has earned a CAC sticker. It is described as having the "2nd hair style," but it did not have a Sheldon number attribution when I bought it. That provided me with an opportunity to give one to it when I got home. And no, I have never been, nor will I ever will be one of those guys who can attribute Sheldon numbers from memory.
As it turns out this is an S-179. It is a common variety which has received a rarity rating of R-1+ in the Breen early large cent book. Dr. Sheldon rated it as an R-2.
There are two interesting diagnostic areas. First the last two digits in the date are smaller and are placed higher than the "17." This indicates that the die may have been made with the first two digits punched in place and then the last two digits were added. I have noted this two part process for the date entry on the 1797 half dimes. Alternatively the small "98" may have been what was available at the time.
The second diagnostic is more interesting. On the reverse the "E" in "AMERICA" was first punched upside down and then corrected. This die blunder makes the coin more interesting to me. It is a reflection of the die making process in the late 18th and early 19th century, which involved a great deal more hand labor than would be necessary when the designs were sunk into the die face with a hub.
Overall the 1798 cent is the most common date among the 18th century large cents. That being said, given the number of large cent collectors, the coin is not often available at the shows, especially this nice.
Comments
Very nice. Thanks for sharing and teaching.
Great coin Bill. and thanks for the information.....Old copper has a special beauty. Cheers, RickO
Nice coin Bill! I really like the color.
K
nice coin
Lovely coin. Thank you for sharing.
Beautiful coin...appears to have really great color...congrats!
Love it.....great looking coin.
Congrats!
I like it very much!
I knew it would happen.
Nice.
Very pretty coin with attractive coloration.
'dude
Bill, that's a very pleasing and attractive cent.
It's a type coin that I should upgrade with a nice example and get over the ill feeling that has plagued me concerning the issue.
The raw xf-au that I bought years ago from a major well respected dealer in copper was returned in a body bag with putty removed showing a large corroded area in the right obverse field.
Seeing a nice one as yours motivates me into getting over it and replacing the mistake with something problem free even if
it's not as high grade as yours.
Very nice Bill! My first 18th century coin was a 1798 Large Cent.
Yum, yum! That is THE perfect brown color which so many seek in large cents.
Successful BST deals with mustangt and jesbroken. Now EVERYTHING is for sale.
A beautiful, classic coin.
Beautiful '98. Well done.
Fantastic example. From my perspective the surfaces are excellent.
With Bill, not only do you get to see a great coin, it comes with an informative explanation.
Fantastic coin and a terrific post. Thanks for sharing Mr. Jones!
Thanks for the added information. Definitely a nice specimen.