LOT #3026 |
Sold on Jan 4, 2012 for: Not Sold
1793 1C Wreath Cent, Vine and Bars MS64 Brown PCGS. S-9, B-12, R.2....
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Sold on Jan 4, 2012 for:
Not Sold Description
1793 S-9 Wreath Cent, MS64 Brown
Vine and Bars Edge
1793 1C Wreath Cent, Vine and Bars MS64 Brown PCGS. S-9, B-12,
R.2. Horizontal Stem / Kidney Bow. The horizontal stem on the
obverse is unmistakable. The reverse has the ribbon bow shaped
somewhat like a kidney, and the combination of those two features
simplifies attribution.Who Engraved the First Coinage Dies?
While it is known that Joseph Wright prepared dies for the 1793 Liberty Cap cents, there is considerable debate about the die engravers for the Chain and Wreath cents. The February 9, 1795, report to Congress contains a statement that there was "a considerable time before an engraver could be engaged, during which, the chief coiner was obliged to make the dies for himself ..." Henry Voigt was the first chief coiner, and that report suggests that he made the dies for the Chain cents.
In Henry Voigt and Others Involved with America's Early Coinage, Karl Moulton suggests that Joseph Wright engraved dies for a number of early coinage issues: "This writer [Moulton] suggests that Joseph Wright engraved several of the early dies in question between 1792 and his untimely death from yellow fever on September 13, 1793." Moulton suggests that Wright engraved certain issues, including the 1793 half cent, but stops short of stating that Wright engraved the Wreath cent dies.
Numismatic researcher R.W. Julian dismisses Wright as an engraver of the Wreath dies: "Both Adam Eckfeldt and Joseph Wright have been suggested as primary engravers of the Wreath cent dies, but both must be rejected. The easiest to dispose of is Wright because the new head of Liberty is hardly up to his known skill and artistry."
In "Aspects of the Copper Coinage, 1793-1796," (America's Large Cent, John M. Kleeberg, editor, ANS, 1998), Julian proposes a "schedule of die work," hoping to launch further research:
"1. Henry Voight, with perhaps minor input from Adam Eckfeldt, engraves the Chain cent dies in January and February 1793.
"2. Voight, with possibly increasing help from Eckfeldt, especially in the lettering, prepares the Wreath cent dies from mid-March through some point in May or June.
"3. The three half cent reverses, with work by both Voight and Eckfeldt - but perhaps more by the latter, are prepared in April and May, but not used until mid-July.
"4. With the arrival of Joseph Wright in early July 1793, the whole situation changes. Wright prepares the half cent obverse dies, which are paired with much cruder reverses.
"5. In July and August 1793 Joseph Wright prepares both obverse and reverse dies for the liberty cap cent coinage of September. All liberty cap cents, as well as a few half cents, were delivered on September 18, 1793."
The identity of the early Mint engravers remains unknown and clearly provides fertile ground for further research.
The Present Specimen
This late-die-state S-9 cent has die cracks at the lower right reverse, with a die chip in the upper angle of the N in UNITED. It is an attractive medium brown specimen with a few splashes of darker patina and trivial flaws on each side. However, few can equal the aesthetic appeal of this specimen. MRB AU55.
Ex: Quality Sales (11/1972), lot 82. (Registry values: N7079)
Coin Index Numbers: (NGC ID# 223H, PCGS# 1347, Greysheet# 1220)
Weight: 13.48 grams
Metal: 100% Copper
Auction Info
2012 January 4-8 US Coins & Platinum Night FUN Signature Auction- Orlando #1166 (go to Auction Home page)
Auction Dates
January, 2012
4th-8th
Wednesday-Sunday
Bids + Registered Phone Bidders: 18
Lot Tracking Activity: N/A
Page Views: 1,438
Buyer's Premium per Lot:
15% of the successful bid per lot.
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