LOT #2026 |
Current Bid: $6,000
1794 1C S-21 R3 Head of 1794, Flat Pole, AU50 PCGS. CAC Approved....
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Description
1794 S-21 Head of 1794 Cent, AU50
Ex: Dr. George P. French
1794 1C S-21 R3 Head of 1794, Flat Pole, AU50 PCGS. CAC
Approved. Frosty light to medium brown and chocolate. The
planchet is smooth except for a few thin planchet fissures: a short
one through the cap, a longer parallel one from the dentils left of
the lower curls along the truncation to the dentils below the bust
tip, and a short but deeper one just right of the F in OF (all as
made). There are areas of die "spalling" on the reverse, mostly
around the wreath where there is obvious roughness from die
deterioration. The only notable contact marks are a scratch under
NT in CENT and a small dig on a leaf left of that C. M-LDS, Breen
state IV, Heck state 4, with several die cracks on the obverse.
Graded AU50 and tied for CC#3 in the Noyes census, his photo
#20112. Bland says EF45 and tied for CC#11. This cataloger's EAC
grade is EF45. A sharp, attractive cent that comes with a nice
provenance that has remained unbroken for nearly 100 years. The
attribution and COL Ellsworth Collection provenance are noted on
the PCGS Gold Shield label (35528.50/15022347).Ex Dr. George P. French 3/21/1929-B. Max Mehl 1929 Fixed Price List, lot 24 (UNC, $150)-T. James Clarke 1944-R. E. "Ted" Naftzger, Jr., Abe Kosoff Fixed Price List 11/1954 ($250)-Gene Wallace-Abe Kosoff-Rare Coin Company of America 5/11/1974:800 (AU, $650)-Gordon J. Wrubel-Dr. C. R. Chambers-Douglas F. Bird-Gary M. Ruttenberg, McCawley & Grellman Auctions 8/17/1996:73 ($4840)-COL Steven K. Ellsworth.
The 1929 fixed price list of the George P. French Collection of Large Cents, issued by B. Max Mehl, represented the dispersal of what was widely recognized as the finest and most complete collection of its kind. French's cabinet, built over fifty years, included more than 800 different specimens, many of them unique varieties or the finest known examples. The catalog began with the foundational 1793 issues-Chain, Wreath, and Liberty Cap cents-described in extraordinary detail. Multiple varieties were listed as "finest known" or "prooflike," including superbly preserved pieces with traces of original red. Among these was an uncirculated Chain cent with mint red highlights, a Wreath cent called "one of the first struck," and several rare Liberty Cap die marriages, including the elusive Crosby 14-K. The 1794 section was unparalleled, offering the most complete set then known, with dozens of Hays varieties, several unique or nearly unique, and many coins singled out as the best examples in existence.
The collection continued with a comprehensive run of 1795 and 1796 Liberty Caps and Draped Bust cents, including celebrated rarities like the 1796 LIHERTY error and multiple uncirculated examples of varieties seldom seen in any grade. Mehl emphasized French's practice of buying regardless of price to secure quality, a strategy that resulted in dozens of coins noted as "finest known" or "unique." Later early dates, from 1797 through the 1800s, were similarly strong, including rare overdates, scarce die states, and pedigreed pieces from past landmark sales. Mehl himself remarked in the preface that no collection as a whole compared to French's achievement, calling it the collection of cents. With its focus on completeness, die variety rarity, and preservation, the French Collection catalog remains a landmark reference in early American copper numismatics.
Coin Index Numbers: (NGC ID# 223P, Variety PCGS# 35528, Base PCGS# 901374, Greysheet# 76745)
Weight: 13.48 grams
Metal: 100% Copper
Auction Info
2026 January 8 US Coins Signature Auction - FUN Special Sessions: Ellsworth & Jacobson #1389 (go to Auction Home page)
Proxy Bidding Ends
January
8th
Thursday
5:50 pm CT
Auction Dates
January
8th
Thursday
Proxy Bidding Time Remaining
7 Days
4h 3m 56s
Bids + Registered Phone Bidders: 17
Lot Tracking Activity: 55
Page Views: 621
Buyer's Premium per Lot:
22% of the successful bid (minimum $29) per lot.
This lot is in: 2 -
Signature® Floor Session - The COL Steven Ellsworth Collection of U.S. Large Cents 1793-1796 (Live Floor, Live Phone, Mail, Fax, Internet, and Heritage Live):
(Lots 2001-2099) - 6:00 PM Central Time, Thursday, January 8, 2026 (7:00 PM Eastern Time).
[Proxy bidding ends ten minutes prior to the session start time. Live Proxy bidding on Heritage Live now starts within 2 hours of when the auction opens for proxy bidding and continues through the live session.]
Exhibition Viewing Times, Title Page, Floor Session and License Information
Additional Location Info:
Orange County Convention Center
North/South Building
9400 Universal Blvd.
Orlando, FL 32819
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