LOT #2055 |
Sold on Jan 8, 2026 for: Sign-in
or Join (free & quick)
1794 1C S-50 R5+ Head of 1794 AU55 PCGS....
Click the image to load the highest resolution version.
Sold on Jan 8, 2026 for:
$48,800.00
Bid Source: HA.com/Live bidder
Description
1794 S-50 Head of 1794 Cent, AU55
Ex: Garrett Collection
1794 1C S-50 R5+ Head of 1794 AU55 PCGS. Glossy golden brown
with hints of light bluish steel on the highpoints of the reverse.
Sharply struck with smooth surfaces and very nice eye appeal.
Nearly void of marks. A small spot of darker brown toning between
the bases of the 9 & 4 and a tiny nick on the lower part of the
upright of the T in CENT can help identify this cent. LDS, Breen
state III, Heck state 2, with a fine die crack through the end of
the bust. The obverse is centered on the planchet but the reverse
is off slightly to the right, as always on this variety. Graded
AU50 net EF40 and CC#3 in the Noyes census, his photo #22464. Bland
says AU50 and tied for CC#1. This cataloger's EAC grade is
EF45. This cent is plated in the 1879 Frossard Monograph of
United States Cents and Half Cents, in Samuel Chapman's 1923
reference The United States Cents of the Year 1794, and it
is the plate coin for the variety in the 2000 Breen encyclopedia.
It is also plated on page 22 of the 1979 grading guide prepared by
Tom Morley to represent the AU50 grade of the variety. A sharp,
very attractive example of this tough die variety, and it comes
with a great provenance that can be traced back nearly 150 years.
The attribution and COL Ellsworth Collection provenance are noted
on the PCGS Gold Shield label (35612.55/13457915). The holder is
scuffed.Ex George W. Merritt, Edouard Frossard 1/3/1879:96 (attributed as Maris #5, $11.25)-L. F. Montanye, H. G. Sampson 4/1881:307 ($6.10)-unknown-Edouard Frossard 11/25/1882:155 ($25)-E. F. Kuithan, Edouard Frossard 6/30/1883:247 ($15)-T. Harrison Garrett-Robert Garrett 1919-John Work Garrett-Johns Hopkins University (privately) 3/1973-John W. Adams, Bowers & Ruddy 1982 Fixed Price List, lot 45 ($10,000)-Denis W. Loring 5/7/1983-Jack H. Robinson-Dr. Allen Bennett-Walter J. Husak, Heritage Auctions 2/15/2008:2052 ($46,000)-COL Steven K. Ellsworth.
The January 3, 1879 sale of George W. Merritt's collection, cataloged by Ed. Frossard and conducted by Bangs & Co. in New York, was a focused but highly important offering devoted almost entirely to U.S. copper coinage. Merritt's goal had been to secure only the finest obtainable cents and half cents, often in uncirculated or proof condition, and the sale included numerous early rarities. Among the highlights were 1793 Chain and Wreath cents of remarkable preservation, an example of the extremely rare 1793 Clover Leaf cent (only three known at the time), multiple high-grade 1794 varieties (including Maris plate coins such as the "Double Chin" and "Fallen 4"), and a celebrated 1799 cent called one of the best ever offered. Later dates included condition census 1802, 1804, and 1823 cents, along with uncirculated impressions of scarce middle and late dates.
The half cents were equally notable, ranging from 1793 and 1794 issues with lettered edges through rare early 1796 and 1797 pieces, extending into brilliant proof strikes of the 1830s-1850s, many termed "excessively rare" in such condition. Merritt's cabinet also included colonial copper standouts such as the 1785 and 1786 Immune Columbia pieces, the 1776 Continental Currency dollar, and a selection of Fugio, New Jersey, and Vermont coppers. While modest in size, the collection's emphasis on quality and rarity-paired with Frossard's detailed attributions and commentary-made it a landmark in early American copper collecting. The catalog remains a key reference for its early census-style notes and its role in dispersing one of the finest specialized copper cabinets of the late 19th century.
From The COL Steven Ellsworth Collection of U.S. Large Cents 1793-1796.
Coin Index Numbers: (NGC ID# 223P, Variety PCGS# 35612, Base PCGS# 901374, Greysheet# 76774)
Weight: 13.48 grams
Metal: 100% Copper
View all of [The COL Steven Ellsworth Collection of U.S. Large Cents 1793-1796 ]
Auction Info
2026 January 8 US Coins Signature Auction - FUN Special Sessions: Ellsworth & Jacobson #1389 (go to Auction Home page)
Auction Dates
January, 2026
8th
Thursday
Bids + Registered Phone Bidders: 29
Lot Tracking Activity: N/A
Page Views: 431
Buyer's Premium per Lot:
22% of the successful bid per lot.
Rasmussen Special Edition Catalog
This hard bound volume contains the magnificent Wes Rasmussen Large Cent Collection, formed by a former President of the Early American Coppers society which was auctioned at the 2005 Florida United Numismatic Auction. Reserve your copy of this remarkable volume for just $75 today.
This hard bound volume contains the magnificent Wes Rasmussen Large Cent Collection, formed by a former President of the Early American Coppers society which was auctioned at the 2005 Florida United Numismatic Auction. Reserve your copy of this remarkable volume for just $75 today.
Rasmussen Signed Limited Edition Catalog
A hard bound limited library edition of the Wes Rasmussen Collection Catalog, signed by Wes Rasmussen, Mark Borckardt, Greg Rohan, and Denis Loring, is available while supplies last. Only 100 produced. Reserve your copy of this remarkable limited edition signed volume for just $150 today.
A hard bound limited library edition of the Wes Rasmussen Collection Catalog, signed by Wes Rasmussen, Mark Borckardt, Greg Rohan, and Denis Loring, is available while supplies last. Only 100 produced. Reserve your copy of this remarkable limited edition signed volume for just $150 today.
Shipping, Taxes, Terms and Bidding
Terms and Conditions | Bidding Guidelines and Bid Increments | Glossary of Terms | US & World Coin Grading Tutorial
Important information concerning Sales Tax and Resale Certificates. Learn More
Terms and Conditions | Bidding Guidelines and Bid Increments | Glossary of Terms | US & World Coin Grading Tutorial