LOT Old Heritage Auctions  /  2008 February Long Beach Signature Coin #460  / 

2038

1794 1C Head of '94. AU55 PCGS. S-36, B-23, R.5.

Currency:USD Category:Coins & Paper Money / US Coins Start Price:4,250.00 USD Estimated At:1.00 - 1,000,000.00 USD
1794 1C Head of '94. AU55 PCGS. S-36, B-23, R.5.
<B>1794 1C Head of '94. AU55 PCGS. S-36, B-23, R.5. </B></I> <B>Bland AU50; CC-2. Noyes XF40; CC-2. Photo #32684. Our EAC Grade XF45.<BR><BR>Equivalents. </B></I>Maris 43 (Crowded Date); Frossard 30; Doughty 63; Hays 31; McGirk 4-D; Ross 19-U; Chapman 14; EAC 22; <I>Encyclopedia </B></I>1662; PCGS #901374.<BR><B><BR>Variety. </B></I>The head is low, crowding the date. The obverse appears on S-36 and NC-1. Single berry left of ribbon bow; lowest leaf points to C. The obverse appears on S-36 and NC-1. The reverse appears on S-36, S-37, and S-38. Lettered Edge, leaf points up.<BR><B><BR>Surfaces. </B></I>Dark steel surfaces have hints of lighter brown on a few obverse highpoints. The reverse has minor reddish corrosion in spots. Both sides exhibit considerable gloss. The H and final D in HUNDRED are filled with yellow ink, Homer Downing's signature on his 1794 cents.<BR><BR><B>Die State III.</B></I> Both dies have light clash marks and minor cracks. The faint crack at the top of RI now continues past C to the final A, later than described by Breen.<BR><BR><B>Appearances. </B></I>The obverse is illustrated in Morley as AU50, according to Bland. The obverse and reverse are illustrated in Noyes (2006).<BR><BR><B>Census. </B></I>One of the two finest known pieces; the other is in the ANS holding. The remaining Census includes four VF coins. Both top examples were discovered in England in the early 1930s as Sheldon notes: "In 1934, two more in about the same condition [as the French coin] were sent to this country from England. One was later sold to ANS in a Morgenthau sale at $141; the other was sold to a New York collector at $140."<BR><BR><B>Commentary. </B></I>Breen notes that Edward Maris first described this variety in 1870. The date is pinpointed because it is described in the second edition of Maris, but not in the first edition. The discovery coin is untraced today. In fact, not a single example of the variety in Bland's Census dates to the 19th century.<BR><BR><B>Provenance. </B></I><I>Discovered in England in 1934; Homer K. Downing (New Netherlands, 1952 ANA), lot 1673, $250; R.E. Naftzger, Jr. (3/1973); John W. Adams; Del Bland (6/1984); George E. Ewing, Jr.; Eric Streiner (4/1993); Dr. Allen Bennett (1/1998).</B></I><BR><BR><B>Personality. Dr. George E. Ewing, Jr.</B></I> (1943-1993) was a resident of Dallas who spent his career in education. As befitting his last name, he was a "true Texan" in speech and demeanor. His numismatic interest was 1794 large cents, forming a collection in 1978 and a better collection from 1987 through 1993. A Heath Literary Award (ANA) winner and a fellow of the ANS, Ewing carried his educational activities over to numismatics.<BR><BR><b>Shipping:</b> Coins & Currency (<a target="_blank" href="http://www.heritageauctions.com/common/shipping.php">view shipping information</a>)
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