1794 High Relief Head, B-8, C-8, R.5, MS62 Brown PCGS. CAC. Our EAC Grade AU50....

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1794 B-8, C-8 Half Cent, MS62 Brown
High Condition Census

1794 High Relief Head, B-8, C-8, R.5, MS62 Brown PCGS. CAC. Our EAC Grade AU50. Equivalents. Ross 6-C; Gilbert-3; Empire-7; Cohen-8; Breen-8; Bowers Whitman-8; Eckberg 5-C.
Rarity. R.5. This die marriage is seen slightly more often than B-7. There are probably 50 to 60 surviving examples. In our opinion, William Eckberg's estimate of 45 pieces is a tad low. The degrees of rarity assigned by various authors are estimates that provide an indication of the frequency that a collector might encounter that variety.
Obverse 5 appears on Breen-7, 8, and 9. This is the High Relief head from a new device punch. The date is high in the field and the top of the 4 is closer to the bust than on any other obverse. On worn specimens, the 4 appears to touch the bust. The pole joins the neck and its end is clearly separated from the border. The prominent should loop is over the 1 and 7, and has a different shape than the other obverse dies. A prominent center dot is position in the hair left of the ear lobe.
Reverse C appears on Breen-3 and 8. The left branch has 16 leaves including one that is mostly hidden behind another left of the H in HALF. The right branch has 16 leaves including one that is partially hidden behind another right of the F in HALF. Five berries in the left branch include one small berry trapped between two leaves below the first T in STATES. Six berries in the right branch include one over a leaf stem below the F in OF and another along the upper edge of the leaf below the E in AMERICA. That element might be a leaf point rather than a berry. The inside berry right of the T in CENT has a long stem, unlike Reverse dies A or B. The numerator is separated from the left ribbon, and the short fraction bar begins over the right half of the 2. The denominator has 20 close and 00 wide. The left stem end is about 50% longer than the right stem end. The T in CENT leans right.
Edge. Lettered TWO HUNDRED FOR A DOLLAR with a single leaf. Two edge devices used in 1794 are distinguished by the letter size. The Small Edge Letters device has narrow, deep, and widely spaced letters.
Surfaces. A few inconsequential marks appear on the light tan surfaces of this important half cent. A blended scratch extends from the hair to the cheek, a convenient provenance marker.
Die State. Manley Die State 1.0. Light obverse and reverse clash marks are found above the back of the head and within the upper wreath elements.
Appearances. Illustrated at the PCGS Set Registry record of the McGuigan Collection. This is Ronald Manley's primary plate coin and his Die State 1.0 plate coin in The Half Cent Die State Book.
PCGS Population (3/2022). Eight 1794 half cents of all varieties are PCGS-graded MS62 Brown, and 22 coins have achieved higher grades. This example from the McGuigan Collection is the only Mint State submission that PCGS attributes as C-8.
Commentary. The McGuigan specimen ranks high in the condition census. For comparison, the Missouri Cabinet coin graded XF45 PCGS and VF30+ per Bob Grellman, who described that coin as "near the top of the condition census." When we cataloged the AU details Partrick coin (XF40 EAC), we wrote that it was possibly the finest known. The McGuigan coin is clearly finer. The Breen-Hanson Condition Census listed three pieces that graded XF and two other VF coins as the finest known to them in 1983.

Three varieties share the High Relief obverse die and two of those, B-7 and B-8, are rare. The third variety, B-9, is encountered most often (nearly always). The rarest is B-7 that as the vertical leaf pair below the T in CENT and it is easy to attribute with just a glance at the reverse. However, B-8 and B-9 have similar reverse dies. The reverse of B-8 has a small berry hidden in the wreath below the F in OF and has the T in CENT leaning slightly to the right. The reverse of B-9 lacks the berry below the F and has the T in CENT leaning to the left.
McGuigan Commentary. Choice glossy light brown surfaces. Identifiable by an obverse scratch from the hair to cheek. Early die state (M1.0) showing obverse and reverse clash marks, but no break through the second "T" in STATES. Among the two or three finest known examples of this rare variety.
Provenance. Ex: Frank Seymour; Frederick H. Borcherdt (5/1998).

Personality. While other Mint officers were involved in administration or activities related to coinage, Henry Voigt (sometimes Voight) was the man that made it happen for today's collectors. He was commissioned as the Chief Coiner on January 29, 1793 and held that post until his February 7, 1814 death. Voigt was born in Germany about 1739, and moved to Philadelphia in 1791 where he worked as a clock and instrument maker. Voigt was the second employee of the Mint behind David Rittenhouse. His appointment was thought to be temporary until a more suitable candidate was found for the position.
From The James R. McGuigan Half Cent Collection.

Coin Index Numbers: (NGC ID# 2223, Variety PCGS# 35060, Base PCGS# 35054, Greysheet# 80852)

Weight: 6.74 grams

Metal: 100% Copper

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