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

Lot Number: 2003

Shortcut to Lot: HA.com/1389*2003

1793 1C S-3 R3- Chain AMERICA XF40 PCGS. Glossy light to medium chocolate brown with lighter brown toning on the highpoints of the devices. A smooth, very attractive Chain cent. Just a few light contact marks including a pair of fine scratches through the lower hair strands into the field over the date, a pair of faint hairlines on the cheek, a couple tiny scratches at TE in STATES, and a rim nick over that E. Only the rim nick catches your eye. EDS, Breen state I, before any die clashmarks. Graded VF35 net VF25 and tied for CC#26 in the Noyes census, his photo #36621. This cataloger's EAC grade is VF35 net VF30. The attribution and COL Ellsworth Collection provenance are noted on the PCGS Gold Shield label (35438.40/43987689).
Ex Denis W. Loring 1/8/2000-COL Steven K. Ellsworth.

Focusing on early American copper, the Chapman October 1879 sale offered an especially significant group of 1793-1794 large cents, carefully described and illustrated on the catalog plates. Among them were a 1793 Chain cent in very fine condition, several 1793 Wreath cents including lettered and vine-and-bars edge varieties, and a well-preserved 1793 Liberty Cap cent, noted as one of the rarest early types. The auction also featured the 1794 "Fallen 4" cent, highlighted as uncirculated with a sharp impression, and other early Liberty Cap and Draped Bust cents through the early 1800s. These descriptions emphasized not only rarity but also condition, with color and surface detail carefully noted-an early example of the Chapmans' methodical approach to copper attribution.
In addition to large cents, the sale included half cents, such as the 1836 proof half cent, called out for its rarity and sharp strike, and other early issues spanning the 1790s. The catalog's preface noted that the cents had been "minutely described," with both obverse and reverse images provided for 24 principal copper specimens. This careful presentation underscored the growing scholarly and collector interest in U.S. early copper at the time. For modern students of the series, the October 1879 Chapman catalog stands as an important reference, reflecting both the rarity and quality standards applied to early American copper long before the establishment of organized large cent study groups. This important sale is not found in the Ellsworth Collection provenance details.

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