1801 and 1803 corrected fraction large cents
rhedden
Posts: 6,632 ✭✭✭✭✭
Here are two Draped Bust large cents from my collection that have something major in common: someone at the mint botched and corrected the punching of the fraction, resulting in the 1/100 over 1/000 error. The 1801 is variety S-221, and the 1803 is S-249. There are also die marriages known with the 1/000 error left uncorrected (1801 S-223 and 1802 S-228, for example), not to mention the "3 errors" varieties of 1801. I don't know who was responsible for repeating this mistake so many times, but they were apparently a big fan of dividing by zero. They would not make it as a programmer these days, but they created some great varieties for future collectors.
The 1801 S-221 came to me at a local show in the DC area. I had just looked at another example in F-12 on a dealer's table along with many other large cents, and it was priced at $3,500. Too much, so I went on to the next table. Here is this coin with strong VF+ details, but with a couple of old pinscratches. Even with the scratches and a bit of corrosion, it had significantly better eye appeal that the other coin. Priced at $350. Well now, that's a bit more reasonable, so I was able to acquire it without much hesitation. I left wondering if Dealer A had bothered to look at the coins on Dealer B's table next to him.
The 1803 S-249 was a variety I could not acquire for the longest time. Finally, this very nice example showed up in a collection that was assembled in the early 1970s. I was the first collector to see it since then, and I bought the whole set through a dealer friend who liked to sell me early copper off the greysheet. The 1802 was probably worth $10 back in the 1970s, as 1803 large cents were considered common junk, except for the rare large date, small fraction variety. I wonder if other collectors of EAC have had similar difficulty locating this variety. It would probably straight grade at PCGS, but I don't usually send my early copper for grading unless it's a common type coin in high grade.
The 1801 S-221 came to me at a local show in the DC area. I had just looked at another example in F-12 on a dealer's table along with many other large cents, and it was priced at $3,500. Too much, so I went on to the next table. Here is this coin with strong VF+ details, but with a couple of old pinscratches. Even with the scratches and a bit of corrosion, it had significantly better eye appeal that the other coin. Priced at $350. Well now, that's a bit more reasonable, so I was able to acquire it without much hesitation. I left wondering if Dealer A had bothered to look at the coins on Dealer B's table next to him.
The 1803 S-249 was a variety I could not acquire for the longest time. Finally, this very nice example showed up in a collection that was assembled in the early 1970s. I was the first collector to see it since then, and I bought the whole set through a dealer friend who liked to sell me early copper off the greysheet. The 1802 was probably worth $10 back in the 1970s, as 1803 large cents were considered common junk, except for the rare large date, small fraction variety. I wonder if other collectors of EAC have had similar difficulty locating this variety. It would probably straight grade at PCGS, but I don't usually send my early copper for grading unless it's a common type coin in high grade.
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Man, I love the Draped Bust Liberty. What were they thinking, transitioning to the frumpy Classic Heads?
Jim
When a man who is honestly mistaken hears the truth, he will either quit being mistaken or cease to be honest....Abraham Lincoln
Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it.....Mark Twain
I have the '01 and '02 uncorrected versions, and looking at these has me thinking I may want to pursue the 'corrected' ones to go along with them.
One thing I have never owned is a really nice 1801 "3 errors" cent. I had two of them previously, and both had G4 details with corrosion. I sold them in 2008 when I thinned out my large cents. I would love to get a F-VF example of either die marriage with nice surfaces, but you're talking about thousands of dollars there.
Very nice. And the 1803 seems to have a goiter also.
Very historically accurate! Goiters were pretty common in places in 1803, especially in the Great Lakes region. How would you like to live in an area affectionately called the "Goiter belt" in an era when nobody knew what caused it?
Here's an uncorrected S-228.
Lance.
I love your S-249. Think of me if you upgrade!
Lance.