1814 1C S-295, RB (Regular Strike)
Series: Classic Head Cents 1808-1814
PCGS MS64RB
- PCGS #:
- 36518
- Designer:
- John Reich
- Edge:
- Plain
- Diameter:
- 28.00 millimeters
- Weight:
- 10.89 grams
- Mintage:
- 357,830
- Mint:
- Philadelphia
- Metal:
- Copper
- Auction Record:
- $43,200 • MS64RB • 02-19-2020 • Goldberg Auctioneers
Condition Census What Is This?
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#1 PCGS MS64RB
As PCGS MS64RB #83499537. Heritage Auctions, April 27, 2017, Lot 4009 - $32,900. As PCGS MS64RB #35796809. Doug Bird; "The High Desert Collection" (PCGS Set Registry). S-295. |
The 1814 Classic Head Cent
Despite the turmoil of the War of 1812 and the British sacking of Washington, D.C., the Philadelphia Mint managed to strike 357,830 Classic Head cents in 1814. Severe wartime shortages of imported English copper forced the Mint to produce the entire year's copper output in a single batch. Two distinct date styles exist for this issue: the Crosslet 4 (S-294, BN #36520) and the Plain 4 (S-295, BN #36517). These are easily distinguished by the presence or absence of a small crossbar at the terminus of the 4's arm. The Crosslet 4 is slightly scarcer.
Production & Distribution Timeline
- Possibly September: 1814 cent production begins.
- October 27, 1814: Chief Coiner Adam Eckfeldt delivers all 357,830 cents, completing the year's copper mintage. The Mint's supply of copper blanks is exhausted.
- November 13, 1814: U.S. Treasurer Thomas T. Tucker orders the Mint to suspend copper distribution amid widespread specie payment halts.
- December 26, 1814: The Bank of Pennsylvania receives the full shipment as the sole distributor, releasing most of the coins into circulation in early 1815.
Collecting the 1814 Classic Head Cent
The vast majority of surviving 1814 cents will grade PCGS XF40 or lower. Mint State specimens are scarce, and examples retaining original Mint Red are exceptionally rare, with only two known to date.
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