Census-Level 1794 S-27 Cent

1794 1C Head of '94. AU50 PCGS. S-27, B-9, R.5. Bland XF40; CC-2. Noyes VF30; tied for CC-3. Photo #21237. Our EAC Grade VF35.

Equivalents. Maris 41 (Egeria); Frossard 28; Doughty 61; Hays 25; McGirk 3-D; Ross 16-P; Chapman 19; EAC 12; Encyclopedia 1659; PCGS #901374.

Variety. Buckled obverse die. Single leaf below I in AMERICA covers branch stem. The obverse appears on S-27. The reverse appears on S-27 and S-28. Lettered Edge, leaf points up.

Surfaces. The sharpness is a few points finer with average surfaces that are marred only by two small reverse rim bruises, one over E of UNITED and another over I of AMERICA. Both sides have pleasing light tan color intermingled with considerable maroon patina. The obverse has a small toning spot on Liberty's bust, a convenient identifier.

Die State III. A later die state. This piece has a bulge visible in both the left and right obverse fields, with a crack along the bulge in the left field. It is usually identified by the obverse die bulge and is sometimes called the Buckled Die cent.

Appearances. The obverse is illustrated in Morley as XF40. The obverse and reverse are illustrated in Noyes (2006).

Census. The finest known S-27 has been returned to the ANS. Bland places this example second in his Census and Noyes considers it third best, with XF45 sharpness.

Commentary. Sheldon commented in Early American Cents: "Maris named this obverse Egeria, after the elusive and secretive wife of legendary King Numa of Rome-perhaps because it was hard to find in good condition." Sheldon wrote in Penny Whimsy: "Above VG, the Egeria remains a rare and elusive lady."

Before the planchets could be turned into coins, they had to be annealed and cleaned. Davy reported on improvements that could be made in this area as well. In the following quote, the modern identity of sal enixum is acid potassium sulphate. Oil of vitriol is better known as sulfuric acid, and aqua fortis is now known as nitric acid.

"The metal being cut out it is annealed (that it may receive the impressions designed); by undergoing this process the surface of the copper becomes calcined, from which it must be cleaned, to effect which I find sal enixum is employed, this is neither so powerful or cheap as oil of vitriol, which cleans it full as well; but the most effectual method to perform this is to boil it first until it becomes black in diluted aqua fortis, and afterwards dipping it in some that is stronger. (This observation will also apply to the cleaning the metal when annealed for rolling, only that oil of vitriol will answer for it in this state full as well as aqua fortis.) This will entirely deprive it of all its calx and make it much brighter when finished, and also preserve the polish of the dies better than when it is cleaned by either sal enixum, or oil of vitriol, and on the whole answer better, although it will be rather more expensive."

Provenance. Discovered in England (1970); Lester Merkin (3/1970); R.E. Naftzger, Jr. (New Netherlands, 11/1973), lot 350 $3,200; John W. Adams (1/1975); Denis W. Loring (5/1983); Jack H. Robinson (Superior, 1/1989), lot 44, $16,500; Dr. Allen Bennett (1/1998).

Personality. John Weston Adams is a Boston investment banker, a trustee of the Massachusetts Historical Society, and a fellow of the American Antiquarian Society. Born in Boston on April 2, 1936, Adams was educated at Princeton and Harvard, where he earned an MBA in 1960. His numismatic interests are diverse. He formed a world class collection of 1794 large cents that was sold by Bowers and Ruddy in 1982 through a fixed price list. He edited Monographs on Varieties of United States Large Cents, 1793-1794 and produced a two-volume reference to numismatic auctions conducted in the 19th and 20th centuries. Recently, Adams wrote a comprehensive reference on Indian peace medals of George III. (#35546)

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