Lot 3561
1793 Liberty Cap Half Cent. Bent cap, type 1. . C-3. PCGS graded AU-55 PQ. Well struck with nice original brown color. A lovely example. Only 35,334 pieces struck. Modeled after Dupre's famous Libertas Americana medal of 1776, the 1793 half cent has been a popular coin with collectors since the very start, not only because of the strong artistic underpinning of the design, but also because this image was only struck in this one year.
The only defects are a couple of faint lines across the hair below Liberty's ear. Planchet is free of problems and the rims are choice on both sides. The surfaces display medium, steel to chocolate-brown hues. They are free from any traces of carbon though there is one tiny spot noted on the cap. Only the slightest friction is visible on the highest portions such as the hair waves and tops of the leaves, keeping the coin from the more expensive Mint State category. The detail is outstanding as well, with the round contours of the obverse device and the fine intricacies of the reverse wreath all fully realized. Ideally centered, we feel bidders will be confident enough to find only good things to say about this attractive, high grade coin! It is a coin that must be viewed in person to be fully appreciated. Pop 24; 36 finer (PCGS # 1000) .
The reverse of the C-3 variety is nicely proportioned, the design framed by a circle of beads, hand-entered in the die and, one might expect, with some misplacement in spacing and size -- attributes which contribute to the charm of this and related die varieties of 1793. Important for anyone seeking a choice example for a Type set, the present half cent, unlike quite a few of this date, has the denomination HALF/CENT, boldly defined (on some it is very weak or almost totally obliterated).
Estimated Value $30,000 - 35,000.
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| Realized $34,500 |
