1795 Lettered Edge, Punctuated Date, B-2a, C-2a, High R.3, MS65 Brown PCGS. CAC. Our EAC Grade MS64....

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1795 B-2a, C-2a Half Cent, MS65 Brown
Lettered Edge, Punctuated Date

1795 Lettered Edge, Punctuated Date, B-2a, C-2a, High R.3, MS65 Brown PCGS. CAC. Our EAC Grade MS64. Equivalents. Proskey 2: 2-A; Ross 1-A; Gilbert-3; Empire-15; Cohen-2a; Breen-2a; Bowers Whitman-2; Eckberg 2-A. The Bowers-Whitman Guide Book assigns numbers of BW-2a and BW-2b to this variety, and adds variety BW-3 for the Punctuated Date, Plain Edge coins.
Rarity. High R.3. The surviving population falls at the lower end of the 200 to 300-coin range. Breen-2a was rated R.3 from Cohen in 1971 through Manley in 1998. Bowers estimates 400 to 600 are known in his Guide Book, a population that is two to three times Eckberg's 200-coin estimate.
Obverse 2 appears on Breen-2, 3, and 4. A long, obvious die chip between the 1 and 7 of the date give this die its "Punctuated Date" nomenclature. The 1 is normally formed, the 9 is large, and the 5 is small. Other die chips are noted at the I and R in LIBERTY. The letters are well-spaced, although TY are close at their tops. The pole extends beyond the bust tip, ending far from the border.
Reverse A appears on Breen-1 and 2. The left branch has 17 leaves and four berries. The right branch has 16 leaves and four berries that include an outer berry below the R in AMERICA. Inside berries flank the ribbon bows, as they do on Reverse B but no others through 1797. A group of three leaves is located below ED. HALF CENT are poorly punched in the die. HAL are distant and LF are close, with the F leaning left. The tops of CE nearly touch with the C leaning right. The tops of NT appear to touch. The numerator is far below the ribbon knot and nearly touches the fraction bar. The denominator is closely spaced, the final 0 slightly high. The left ribbon end is level with the fraction bar and the right ribbon end extends below the fraction bar.
Edge. Lettered TWO HUNDRED FOR A DOLLAR. The large, bold letters are different from those used in 1793 or 1794.
Surfaces. The glossy light brown surfaces of this Gem half cent retain traces of original mint red in the protected areas of the obverse. A few microscopic marks have no affect on the overall aesthetics of this important half cent.
Die State. Manley Die State 3.0. A plain die bulge is visible in the right obverse field of this late die state half cent. Light clash marks are noted at the upper right reverse.
Appearances. Illustrated at the PCGS Set Registry record of the McGuigan Collection. This is Ronald Manley's primary illustration and his Die State 3.0 plate coin in The Half Cent Die State Book. Plated in the February 1992 catalog offering Ted Naftzger's half cents.
PCGS Population (3/2022). This coin is the finest certified Lettered Edge, Punctuated Date (C-2a) half cent. For all 1795 varieties, PCGS has graded three submissions as MS65 Brown and four finer coins.
Commentary. The Breen-Hanson Condition Census listed six Uncirculated examples of the 1795 B-2a half cent. Those coins include the Parmelee coin most recently reported in 1893, the Winsor coin sold in 1895, the Jackman coin sold in 1918, the Alvord coin sold in 1924, and a coin that B. Max Mehl sold in 1938. None of those coins have any record after 1938. The Winsor coin reappeared in the Missouri Cabinet where it was graded MS64+ PCGS. Stack's Bowers sold the ESM Collection coin, graded MS62 Brown PCGS, in 2020, and we sold the Partrick coin, graded MS62 Brown NGC, in 2021. Those four coins are the only Mint State pieces known to us today, and the McGuigan coin heads that roster.
McGuigan Commentary. Superb lustrous light brown color with original mint red around the devices and lettering on the obverse. Finest known specimen of the sub-variety. Late die state (M3.0) with a crack through tops of "RICA" of AMERICA to final zero of fraction.
Provenance. Ex: Anthony J. Terranova; R.E. Naftzger, Jr. (Superior, 2/1992), lot 432.
Personality. A California businessman and cattle rancher, Roy Edgar Naftzger, Jr., known as "Ted," was raised in a ranching family. He was born on August 23, 1925 and died on October 29, 2007. He attended Stanford University, earned a history degree in 1948, and a masters from the University of Southern California 38 years later. Naftzger formed one of the finest collections of U.S. large cents, and had an interest in other numismatic specialties. He was an avid fisherman who was inducted into the International Game Fishing Hall of Fame in 2002.
From The James R. McGuigan Half Cent Collection.

Coin Index Numbers: (NGC ID# 2224, Variety PCGS# 35070, Base PCGS# 1015, Greysheet# 80855)

Metal: 100% Copper
Weight: 6.74 grams
Weight: 0.24oz

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