1793 1C Flowing Hair Wreath Cent, Vine and Bars (S-8) PCGS MS65BN (CAC)

An astute numismatist with the required resources should strongly consider adding this specimen to his or her collection. Creamy chocolate brown surfaces morph into splashes of blue and lilac as you tilt this beauty under a light. Both sides offer a razor-sharp strike and full beaded borders.

Out of its mintage of 63,353, there have been 729 graded by PCGS. This one-year type was only produced from April to July of 1793. At that time it was replaced with a new type, the Liberty Cap cent. PCGS has graded 6 in MS65, with just 7 finer. In CAC, there are 4 in MS65 with 3 finer. 1793 was the first year the new mint in Philadelphia produced the Large Cent. Plus this classic piece is housed within the popular PCGS Old Green Holder (OGH). Research has determined that this coin was placed in the OGH between 1993-1998 and is considered the PCGS Gen 3.1 holder.

Depiction of Henry Voigt coining early US coins. He was the chief coin in 1793 when the Wreath Cent was produced. Image Source: https://www.usacoinbook.com/encyclopedia/coin-designers/henry-voigt/

The new wreath design was Director David Rittenhouse’s answer to the newspaper criticisms of the Chain Cent.

Walter Breen writes,

The actual diesinker is uncertain. It was not Voigt as the style is too different from the Chains. Neither Joseph Wright nor Robert Scot had yet been hired. This leaves only two likely candidates: Birch [who crafted the Birch cents] and Adam Eckfeldt. In favor of Eckfeldt is the close kinship between these reverses and those of the half cents of 1793, which Eckfeldt claimed as his own work. In favor of Birch is the kinship between the seven cent reverses and that of the Birch and Voigt cents of 1792. Most likely, both men worked on these dies, with Eckfeldt afterwards basining, polishing, and hardening them.

There is little that can be said that is negative about this dramatic offering. However, a few irregularities should be pointed out. The obverse displays a few faint clashmarks from the wreath on the reverse in the field below Liberty's chin. The diagnostic die break appears on the reverse from the first T in STATES though the coin's center. A few spindly die breaks are found upon Liberty's cheek on the obverse.  These anomalies are difficult to see with the naked eye and do not detract from this coin's overall fantastic eye appeal.