LOT Heritage Rare Coin Galleries  /  2006 October Dallas Signature Coin Auction #428  / 

64

1793 Chain 1C AMERICA XF40 PCGS. S-3, B-4, Low R.3. Br

Currency:USD Category:Coins & Paper Money / US Coins Start Price:51.00 USD Estimated At:1.00 - 1,000,000.00 USD
1793 Chain 1C AMERICA XF40 PCGS. S-3, B-4, Low R.3. Br
<B>1793 Chain<1C> AMERICA XF40 PCGS.</B></I> S-3, B-4, Low R.3. Breen Die State III. A splendidly detailed example of this fleeting early type, struck only in March of 1793. The Chain cent represents the first design struck by the U.S. Mint, and quality survivors are cherished for their historical significance. The present piece has bold legends, and the portrait shows only moderate wear on the eye and on the hair close to Liberty's ear. The inner hair detail is delightfully brought up. The wood-grain medium brown surfaces are highly pleasing. A few tiny rim nicks are noted, on the obverse at 4, 5, 6, and 8 o'clock, and on the reverse at 6 o'clock. The only other marks that merit even casual mention are tiny ticks beneath Liberty's eye and above the E in ONE, and a couple of faint, short, thin, and toned over scratches near the TE in STATES. Minor dark gray build-up within the legends and chains only attests to the originality. Clash marks from the chain outline Liberty's lower profile. Breen (2000) suggests, "The ghostly chain clash marks at Ms. Liberty's face and neck may have inspired the 'Liberty in chains' epithet." This, in turn, references a comment by Dr. Sheldon from his groundbreaking <I>Early American Cents,</B></I> (1949), "The 1793 Chain Cent was a particular target for invective. This was the 'Liberty in chains' cent." Contemporary observers were not kind to the designs. An often-quoted editorial from the March 18 issue of Philadelphia's <I>The Mail, or Claypoole's Daily Advertiser</B></I> opined, "The chain on the reverse is but a bad omen for Liberty, and Liberty herself appears to be in a fright." However wags of the day may have referred to the Chain cent, attitudes eventually changed. 1793 cents were among the first series collected by die variety. In 1869, Crosby and Levick published <I>The United States Cents of 1793,</B></I> and this served as the standard reference for numismatists until Crosby updated it in 1897. Encapsulated within a green label holder. EAC 20.<BR><I>From The Tide Collection.</B></I>
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