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1799 Sheldon-189. Rarity-2. Genuine – Scratch – EF Details. PCGS.

Currency:USD Category:Coins & Paper Money / US Coins - Large Cents Start Price:5,000.00 USD Estimated At:15,000.00 USD
1799 Sheldon-189. Rarity-2. Genuine – Scratch – EF Details. PCGS.
SOLD
12,000.00USD+ (2,100.00) buyer's premium + applicable fees & taxes.
This item SOLD at 2017 Mar 09 @ 19:37UTC-5 : EST/CDT
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1799 Sheldon-189. Rarity-2. Genuine – Scratch – EF Details. PCGS.
This deep chocolate brown specimen offers superior sharpness throughout and is certainly far finer in that department than the vast majority of surviving specimens; many collectors acquire the first pleasing AG-3 or Good-4 specimen they locate and are then done with it. To find an example with this degree of sharpness is an uncommon occurrence indeed. Almost immediately evident, however, is the reason for the PCGS qualifier – a diagonal scratch that runs from the obverse rim at 11 o’clock between the I and B of LIBERTY, then downward across Liberty’s coiffure to the back corner of her eye. Another finer scratch from behind her ear to her chin becomes apparent under low magnification, as do some possibly man-made scratches in the date area; all of the scratches are probably centuries-old. A somewhat pebbly appearance becomes apparent in places on both sides when a loupe is pressed into service. A small obverse rim ding is noted at 7 o’clock, while the reverse display some marks that crown the A of STATES and a rim bruise at 5:30. What is apparently a patch of old corrosion clings to the reverse rim at TES. Even after tallying in the shortcomings, the present 1799 cent is still remarkable in sharpness and overall appearance.

If it were in perfect shape without its qualifiers, it would be one of the most famous examples of the date extant. The fame of the 1799 cent – and its 1799/8 counterpart -- is commensurate with its popularity, and it is a date with a fun story to tell. Joseph J. Mickley of Philadelphia was born in 1799, and there arises one of the most popular twice-told tales in all of numismatics. Mickley, who repaired violins and other musical instruments, decided to find an old copper cent in circulation from the year of his birth, but the search was in vain; it did, however, lead to an awakening appreciation of coins and collectors that resulted in Joseph J. Mickley becoming one of the most famous names in 19th-century numismatics. Mickley finally did find an example of the date, but only after much time spent. As then-elderly collector Edward Groh -- one of five founders of the American Numismatic Society in 1858 – reminisced in a 1901 interview in the New York Times: “The story of Mickley’s chase after the 1799 cent illustrates the difference of methods then and now. Mr. Mickley wasn’t a collector when he started to hunt for that cent, but he had been born in the year 1799, and wanted the coin for a pocket piece. Nowadays he would have found out the whereabouts of every cent of that mintage simply by consulting any dealer in town. As it was, he had to go about it the old way.” Kudos to your tenacity, Mr. Mickley, but we can’t help but wonder just how many other 1799 cents you went on to handle during your numismatic career!

The mintage for 1799 must have been just a small fraction of the 1.8 million-plus figure given by the Red Book for 1798, in which the guesstimate for 1799 cents is “included in 1798 ‘all kinds’ mintage.” Back in the 18th and early 19th centuries, Philadelphia Mint records tended to show the number of copper cents struck in the calendar year, but usage of dies dated 1798 would have spilled over into the 1799 calendar year at the facility rather than pressing freshly made 1799-dated dies into service in January of that year and discarding all the perfectly sound 1798 steel dies that would no doubt be on hand at the end of the year. In Mickley’s day, the 1799 cent was considered a rarity, but as word got out, more and more examples came to light, resulting in today’s Rarity-2 rating. It is estimated that 800 to 1,000 or so examples of the date can be accounted for today in all grades.

As noted earlier, the vast majority of today’s survivors have fared about equally in grade, say AG to VG on a good day, and anything finer than that is generally considered a mini-event mini event with copper collectors and enthusiasts. We are certain that the reception this 1799 cent will enjoy at bidding time will be exciting. Currently there are far more collectors enjoying the large cent discipline than there are 1799 cents to go around. This impressively sharp example is highly collectable and we’re certain it will make a welcomed addition to a large cent cabinet either in its infancy -- you may as well dream big and start at the top -- or a relatively advanced collection that may be in an upgrade mode. The copper enthusiasts will be out for this one!

Ex: Oliver Collection.

PCGS Coin Facts