Auction Name: 2026 January 8 US Coins Signature Auction - FUN Special Sessions: Ellsworth & Jacobson

Lot Number: 2002

Shortcut to Lot: HA.com/1389*2002

1793 1C S-2 R4+ Chain AMERICA VF25 PCGS. Glossy medium chocolate brown with steel brown toning on the highpoints of the devices. The surfaces are smooth except for a very thin planchet fissure from the jaw into the field off the end of the bust (as struck). The eye appeal of this cent is excellent, but there are a few small contact marks scattered over both sides, mostly on the obverse. The notable marks are a dull nick in the hair left of the forehead, another on the jawline, a small dig in the field behind the head, a pair of small rim nicks behind the head, and a minor rim bruise at LI in LIBERTY. LDS, Breen state II, with a subtle bulge through the base of the date. The bottom of the 1 is weak due to the bulge but the rest of the date is bold and the legends are strong. This cataloger's EAC grade is VF25+. The attribution and COL Ellsworth Collection provenance are noted on the PCGS Gold Shield label (35435.25/43987688).
Ex Stack's 3/17/1979:1862 ($4200)-"L.J."-Superior 9/7/1997:30 ($6875)-COL Steven K. Ellsworth.

The Peter Mougey Collection, sold by Thomas L. Elder in New York on September 1-3, 1910, was one of the most celebrated American coin auctions of the early 20th century. Mougey, a Cincinnati collector, had spent decades assembling coins of exceptional quality, prioritizing preservation and eye appeal long before such standards were common. His holdings were sourced from many of the great 19th-century cabinets-Mickley, Winsor, Bushnell, Parmelee, Maris, and others-and were described by Elder as "the most far-sighted" of their time. The collection included landmark rarities across all U.S. series, from a near-complete run of early gold eagles, half eagles, and quarter eagles, to Gobrecht dollars in multiple varieties, top-condition half dollars and quarters, and extensive proof sets. It was also rich in colonial issues, medals, and foreign gold, including a unique Bechtler $5 piece from Rutherford County.

Most celebrated, however, were Mougey's cents and half cents, which Elder described as the "crowning feature" of the collection. The cent cabinet included the two finest known 1793s, a remarkable 1793 Chain cent nearly uncirculated, and an extraordinary 1848 Small Date from the Parmelee Collection. The half cents were equally impressive, complete in all major varieties, often in uncirculated or proof preservation. This emphasis on quality and completeness made the Mougey Collection a landmark in American copper collecting, comparable only to a handful of great cabinets before or since. For its breadth, condition, and pedigree, the sale was a milestone that shaped collector expectations for generations, establishing a standard of quality that still resonates in numismatic scholarship and the marketplace today. This important sale is not found in the Ellsworth Collection provenance details.

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