1794 1C Head of 1793, BN
1794 1C Head of 1795, BN

1794 1C Head of 1794, BN (Regular Strike)

Series: Liberty Cap Cents 1793-1796

PCGS MS66+BN

PCGS MS66+BN

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OBVERSE COMPARISON

OBVERSE COMPARISON

PCGS MS66+BN

PCGS MS66+BN

PCGS #:
901374
Designer:
Attributed to Robert Scot
Edge:
Lettered: ONE HUNDRED FOR A DOLLAR
Diameter:
28.00 millimeters
Weight:
13.48 grams
Mintage:
918,521
Mint:
Philadelphia
Metal:
Copper
Auction Record:
$246,750 • MS66+BN • 07-26-2018 • Legend Rare Coin Auctions
Major Varieties
Die Varieties

Rarity and Survival Estimates Learn More

Grades Survival
Estimate 		Numismatic
Rarity 		Relative Rarity
By Type 		Relative Rarity
By Series
All Grades 3,000 R-4.4 11 / 11 12 / 12
60 or Better 100 R-8.0 7 / 11 8 / 12
65 or Better 6 R-9.7 5 / 11 TIE 5 / 12 TIE
Survival Estimate
All Grades 3,000
60 or Better 100
65 or Better 6
Numismatic Rarity
All Grades R-4.4
60 or Better R-8.0
65 or Better R-9.7
Relative Rarity By Type All Specs in this Type
All Grades 11 / 11
60 or Better 7 / 11
65 or Better 5 / 11 TIE
Relative Rarity By Series All Specs in this Series
All Grades 12 / 12
60 or Better 8 / 12
65 or Better 5 / 12 TIE

Condition Census What Is This?

Pos Grade Image Pedigree and History
1 PCGS MS67BN

Discovered in England; Stack’s, August 1957; C. Douglas Smith; Abe Kosoff, August 14, 1957; R.E. Naftzger, Jr., February 23, 1992; Eric Streiner; Jay Parrino; John F.E. Carroll; Bowers and Merena, January 1999, Lot 1020; Ed Milas; Milas family to Laura Sperber, 2019; Laura Sperber; Bruce Morelan; Legend Rare Coins Auctions, October 2020,Lot 3 – $258,500; “The Westwood Collection,” Heritage Auctions, January 14, 2022, Lot 4569 – $264,000. S-31.
2 PCGS MS66+BN

William Strickland, taken to England from the United States Mint in 1794; Charles Winn (husband of Priscilla Strickland, son-in-law and cousin of William Strickland), by sale, 1834; Rowland Winn, 1st Baron St. Oswald of Nostell, by descent, 1874; Rowland Winn, 2nd Baron St. Oswald of Nostell, by descent, 1893; Rowland George Winn, 3rd Baron St. Oswald of Nostell, by descent, 1919; Rowland Denys Guy Winn, Major the Lord St. Oswald, M.C., by descent, 1957; “English, Foreign, and Important American Coins, the Property of Major the Lord St. Oswald, M.C.,” Christie, Manson, and Woods, Ltd., October 1964, Lot 154 – $2,660; Lester Merkin; Dorothy Paschal; Douglas Smith; Dr. Bob Shalowitz; Del Bland; Dr. Bob Shalowitz; David Berg; William Freeman; John W. Adams; Bertram Cohen; unknown intermediaries. As PCGS MS66+BN CAC #25349026. "The South Texas Collection," Legend Rare Coin Auctions, July 26, 2018, Lot 174 – $246,750. S-59.
2 PCGS MS66+BN

"The Louis E. Eliasberg, Sr. Collection," Bowers & Merena, May 1996, Lot 491 - $27,500. S-24.
2 PCGS MS66+BN

Bruce Morelan. S-29.
2 PCGS MS66+BN

S-26.
6 PCGS MS66BN

Discovered in England; Stack’s, August 1957; C. Douglas Smith; Abe Kosoff, August 14, 1957; R.E. Naftzger, Jr., February 23, 1992; Eric Streiner; Jay Parrino; John F.E. Carroll; Bowers and Merena, January 1999, Lot 1020; Ed Milas; Milas family to Laura Sperber, 2019; Laura Sperber; Bruce Morelan; Legend Rare Coins Auctions, October 2020,Lot 3 – $258,500; “The Westwood Collection,” Heritage Auctions, January 14, 2022, Lot 4569 – $264,000. S-31.
6 PCGS MS66BN

As "Uncirculated. Bright Red." “The Henry C. Miller Collection,” Thomas Elder, April 1917, Lot 678 – $112.50; Henry Chapman; Dr. Christian A. Allenberger. As "Uncirculated, mint red turning to light olive." B. Max Mehl, March 1948, Lot 339 – $87.50; R.E. “Ted” Naftzger, Jr.; Naftzger sold to Eric Streiner, February 23, 1992; Jay Parrino; Anthony Terranova; Dr. Thomas Turissini. As PCGS MS65+RB #20383873. Legend Rare Coin Auctions, September 26, 2018, Lot 210 – Passed; As PCGS MS66BN #20383873. Dr Thomas Turissini, May 5, 2018; Legend Rare Coin Auctions, March 21, 2019, Lot 8 – $152,750; John H. Agre. S-32. This coin, already impressive, must have been a sight to behold when it was offered in the Henry C. Miller sale. Its once "bright red" appearance has since mellowed into a rich chocolate brown, though some underlying red hues remain. While PCGS graded the coin as Red Brown (RB) as recently as 2018, in its most recent auction appearance, it was certified as PCGS MS66BN.
6 PCGS MS66BN

Stack’s, privately in 1971; John W. Adams; Gordon J. Wrubel; Dr. Robert J. Shalowitz, August 1977; Del Bland, May 13, 1986; Herman Halpern; “The Herman Halpern Collection,” Stack’s, March 1988, Lot 41 – $16,400; Andrew M. Hain; “The Hain Family Collection,” Stack’s, January 2002, Lot 731 – $21,850. As PCGS MS66BN #50001282. Chris Victor-McCawley; Superior Galleries, June 2002, Lot 2436 – $25,300; MastroNet Auctions, April 2003 – $48,048; Legend Numismatics, October 15, 2008; Martin Logies; private collector; Stack’s Bowers, August 13, 2011, Lot 7222 – $86,250; “The Jim O’Neal Collection of U.S. Type, Part One,” Heritage Auctions, April 24, 2014, Lot 5509 – $117,642.18; Steve Contursi. S-30. Die State III. 
6 PCGS MS66BN

Supposedly discovered in the old United States Hotel in Chester, PA; Lyman H. Low, November 1905, Lot 70 - $23; "The Malcolm N. Jackson Collection,"  United States Coin Co., May 1913, Lot 1235 - $51; Carl Wurtzbach, sold privately in 1919; Virgil M. Brand; B.G. Johnson - Barney Bluestone; New Netherlands, sold privately on September 9, 1951; Harold Bareford sold privately on September 13, 1985 Herman Halpern, traded privately on December 11, 1986; R.E. “Ted” Naftzger, Jr., sold privately on February 23, 1992; Eric Streiner; Dr. Robert J. Shaolowitz; Anthony Terranova and Chris Victor-McCawley, sold privately, April1994; Dr. Thomas Turissini; Thomas D. Reynolds. S-28. Mint Red in protected areas. Breen Large Cent Encyclopedia Plate Coin - Noyes Plate Coin
#1 PCGS MS67BN

Discovered in England; Stack’s, August 1957; C. Douglas Smith; Abe Kosoff, August 14, 1957; R.E. Naftzger, Jr., February 23, 1992; Eric Streiner; Jay Parrino; John F.E. Carroll; Bowers and Merena, January 1999, Lot 1020; Ed Milas; Milas family to Laura Sperber, 2019; Laura Sperber; Bruce Morelan; Legend Rare Coins Auctions, October 2020,Lot 3 – $258,500; “The Westwood Collection,” Heritage Auctions, January 14, 2022, Lot 4569 – $264,000. S-31.
#2 PCGS MS66+BN

William Strickland, taken to England from the United States Mint in 1794; Charles Winn (husband of Priscilla Strickland, son-in-law and cousin of William Strickland), by sale, 1834; Rowland Winn, 1st Baron St. Oswald of Nostell, by descent, 1874; Rowland Winn, 2nd Baron St. Oswald of Nostell, by descent, 1893; Rowland George Winn, 3rd Baron St. Oswald of Nostell, by descent, 1919; Rowland Denys Guy Winn, Major the Lord St. Oswald, M.C., by descent, 1957; “English, Foreign, and Important American Coins, the Property of Major the Lord St. Oswald, M.C.,” Christie, Manson, and Woods, Ltd., October 1964, Lot 154 – $2,660; Lester Merkin; Dorothy Paschal; Douglas Smith; Dr. Bob Shalowitz; Del Bland; Dr. Bob Shalowitz; David Berg; William Freeman; John W. Adams; Bertram Cohen; unknown intermediaries. As PCGS MS66+BN CAC #25349026. "The South Texas Collection," Legend Rare Coin Auctions, July 26, 2018, Lot 174 – $246,750. S-59.
#2 PCGS MS66+BN

"The Louis E. Eliasberg, Sr. Collection," Bowers & Merena, May 1996, Lot 491 - $27,500. S-24.
#2 PCGS MS66+BN

Bruce Morelan. S-29.
#2 PCGS MS66+BN

S-26.
#6 PCGS MS66BN

Discovered in England; Stack’s, August 1957; C. Douglas Smith; Abe Kosoff, August 14, 1957; R.E. Naftzger, Jr., February 23, 1992; Eric Streiner; Jay Parrino; John F.E. Carroll; Bowers and Merena, January 1999, Lot 1020; Ed Milas; Milas family to Laura Sperber, 2019; Laura Sperber; Bruce Morelan; Legend Rare Coins Auctions, October 2020,Lot 3 – $258,500; “The Westwood Collection,” Heritage Auctions, January 14, 2022, Lot 4569 – $264,000. S-31.
#6 PCGS MS66BN

As "Uncirculated. Bright Red." “The Henry C. Miller Collection,” Thomas Elder, April 1917, Lot 678 – $112.50; Henry Chapman; Dr. Christian A. Allenberger. As "Uncirculated, mint red turning to light olive." B. Max Mehl, March 1948, Lot 339 – $87.50; R.E. “Ted” Naftzger, Jr.; Naftzger sold to Eric Streiner, February 23, 1992; Jay Parrino; Anthony Terranova; Dr. Thomas Turissini. As PCGS MS65+RB #20383873. Legend Rare Coin Auctions, September 26, 2018, Lot 210 – Passed; As PCGS MS66BN #20383873. Dr Thomas Turissini, May 5, 2018; Legend Rare Coin Auctions, March 21, 2019, Lot 8 – $152,750; John H. Agre. S-32. This coin, already impressive, must have been a sight to behold when it was offered in the Henry C. Miller sale. Its once "bright red" appearance has since mellowed into a rich chocolate brown, though some underlying red hues remain. While PCGS graded the coin as Red Brown (RB) as recently as 2018, in its most recent auction appearance, it was certified as PCGS MS66BN.
#6 PCGS MS66BN

Stack’s, privately in 1971; John W. Adams; Gordon J. Wrubel; Dr. Robert J. Shalowitz, August 1977; Del Bland, May 13, 1986; Herman Halpern; “The Herman Halpern Collection,” Stack’s, March 1988, Lot 41 – $16,400; Andrew M. Hain; “The Hain Family Collection,” Stack’s, January 2002, Lot 731 – $21,850. As PCGS MS66BN #50001282. Chris Victor-McCawley; Superior Galleries, June 2002, Lot 2436 – $25,300; MastroNet Auctions, April 2003 – $48,048; Legend Numismatics, October 15, 2008; Martin Logies; private collector; Stack’s Bowers, August 13, 2011, Lot 7222 – $86,250; “The Jim O’Neal Collection of U.S. Type, Part One,” Heritage Auctions, April 24, 2014, Lot 5509 – $117,642.18; Steve Contursi. S-30. Die State III. 
#6 PCGS MS66BN

Supposedly discovered in the old United States Hotel in Chester, PA; Lyman H. Low, November 1905, Lot 70 - $23; "The Malcolm N. Jackson Collection,"  United States Coin Co., May 1913, Lot 1235 - $51; Carl Wurtzbach, sold privately in 1919; Virgil M. Brand; B.G. Johnson - Barney Bluestone; New Netherlands, sold privately on September 9, 1951; Harold Bareford sold privately on September 13, 1985 Herman Halpern, traded privately on December 11, 1986; R.E. “Ted” Naftzger, Jr., sold privately on February 23, 1992; Eric Streiner; Dr. Robert J. Shaolowitz; Anthony Terranova and Chris Victor-McCawley, sold privately, April1994; Dr. Thomas Turissini; Thomas D. Reynolds. S-28. Mint Red in protected areas. Breen Large Cent Encyclopedia Plate Coin - Noyes Plate Coin
Charles Morgan:

The "Three Heads" of 1794

The Liberty Cap Cent debuted at the end of 1793 and is the work of Robert Scot, who was appointed Chief Engraver of the United States Mint on November 23 of that year. Scot’s production process represented a significant advancement over the labor-intensive hand-engraving method used for the Chain and Wreath Cents. Rather than cutting each die individually by hand, Scot utilized a master hub to transfer the central image (Liberty’s portrait, her hair, the pileus (Liberty cap), and the pole) to the working dies. This same master image was also utilized for the Half Cents of the period. Minor variations in hair or cap detail between specific varieties typically resulted from the engraver hand-retouching the dies after the hubbing process.

Because this early hubbing process often produced imperfect image transfers, the engraver was required to finish each die by hand. This manual touch, combined with the hand-punching of dates and lettering, bestowed a unique character upon every die. Consequently, identifying early U.S. die varieties is often possible with the naked eye, whereas modern, machine-made varieties typically require high magnification to discern.

For the 1794-dated cents, three distinct head styles were employed:

  • The Head of 1793: A high-relief design carried over for varieties S-17 through S-20.
  • The Head of 1794: A lower-relief design that struck up more consistently; it encompasses the majority of the year’s production (S-21 through S-66, plus several Non-Collectible (NC) die marriages).
  • The Head of 1795: Notable for a stylistic change in Liberty’s hair, specifically the bottom curl looping upward. This style appears on varieties S-67 through S-72 and NC-2.

While the Head of 1794 represents the largest number of varieties and extant survivors, several specific die marriages within this group remain exceedingly rare.

1794 "Head of 1794" Varieties (Sheldon Numbers)

Pursuing a complete variety collection of 1794 Large Cents is among the most challenging endeavors for any devotee of early United States copper. Recently, prominent collectors Walter J. Husak and Al Boka championed this pursuit. The finest specimens of each variety have been intensely studied for decades, with many pedigrees tracing back to the late 19th century. Most notable are the well-preserved Mint State examples from the Lord St. Oswald Collection; these were purportedly acquired directly from the Mint in 1794 and remained in the family’s English estate until their landmark auction dispersal in 1964.

"Non-Collectible" (NC) Varieties

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Regency XIX Preview | Legend Rare Coin Auctions | December 15, 2016

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