Impressive 1794 S-20 Head of '93 Cent

1794 1C Head of '93. XF45 PCGS. "S-20b," B-4b, High R.4. Bland VF25; tied for CC-4. Noyes VF30; tied for CC-2. Photo #22590. Our EAC Grade VF25.

Equivalents. Maris 1 ('93 Head); Frossard 1; Doughty 18; Hays 1; McGirk 8-A; Ross 1-A; Chapman 1; EAC 4b; Encyclopedia 1655; PCGS #1362.

Variety. Head of '93; date is close and straight. Dentils, stems, and ribbons are unusually long. The obverse appears on S-20 and NC-7. The reverse appears on S-19a, S-19b, S-20, S-21, and NC-7. Lettered Edge, leaf points up.

Surfaces. A lovely example with glossy chocolate-brown surfaces, deeper steel toning on the high points, and faint traces of maroon corrosion on the reverse. A few insignificant rim bruises are visible on the obverse. The reverse is more sharply defined than the obverse, typical for the Head of '93 cents.

Die State II. The obverse has a light bulge from the rim to the chin. Only slight traces of die rust are evident in the left branch of the wreath.

Appearances. The obverse is illustrated in Chapman. The obverse and reverse are illustrated in Noyes (2006).

Census. About 100 examples of S-20b are known, nearly all in lower grades. The finest survivor is in the ANS Collection. This piece and the Hall-Brand specimen are tied for second best, representing the finest examples available to collectors, per the Noyes Census. Only seven pieces grade better than Fine.

A single example is known with the earlier 1793 edge device. It was discovered by Robert Bashlow in 1961 and now resides in the Daniel Holmes Collection. That coin is designated as "S-20a" or NC-7. That coin actually has both edge devices, apparently struck on a planchet that had the 1793 edge device, and later reintroduced to the Castaing machine with the 1794 edge dies. Not only is the NC-7 cent unique, it is apparently the only known 1794 large cent bearing both edge devices.

Commentary. Sheldon discussed this coin in 1949: "Another, EF-40, and almost as famous [as the Collins-ANS coin], was sold in 1923 in the Beckwith sale at $180 and was later bought by Dr. French for a reported $300. This is the coin illustrated in Chapman." It appeared in the Beckwith catalog but was not actually owned by him, being consigned to the sale by S.H. Chapman. In Penny Whimsy, Sheldon wrote that the S-20 is "the last of the Head-of-'93 cents, and to many of our predecessors one of the most desired pieces in American numismatics."

Provenance. George Morris; Charles Steigerwalt (6/1891), lot 897, $3; Charles Steigerwalt (FPL, 1891); W.B. Guy (Henry Chapman, 11/1911), lot 351, $42.50; Dr. George P. French; Henry C. Miller (Thomas Elder, 4/1917), lot 653, $65; S.H. Chapman; J.P. Hale Jenkins (Henry Chapman, 7/1922), lot 1472, $95; S.H. Chapman; S.H. Chapman (4/1923, Addenda A), $180; Henry Chapman; Dr. George P. French (B. Max Mehl, 1929 FPL), lot 19, $125; T. James Clarke (1944); B. Max Mehl (1944); Dr. William H. Sheldon; C. Douglas Smith (1965); Alfred Bonard; Numismatic Enterprises (2/1968), lot 23, $2,200; R.E. Naftzger, Jr. (3/1973); John W. Adams (Bowers and Ruddy, 1982 FPL), lot 7, $10,000; Denis W. Loring (5/1983); Jack H. Robinson; Dr. Allen Bennett (1/1998).

Personality. Robert Bashlow was a New York dealer who was active circa 1960 to 1962. He is known today for his copies of the Continental dollar that were produced in 1962. He also made cast copies of the Nova Constellatio quint patterns, and is most famous for the numerous Bashlow restrikes of the Confederate cent, producing about 30,000 of those pieces in various compositions. Bashlow was expelled from the ANA in 1962. (#35522)

View Entire Collection
View large image(s) of this item

Shipping Description: Coins & Currency (view shipping information)