1846 1C Braided Hair Large Cent, Small Date N-1 PCGS MS65RB (CAC) Ex. Naftzger Collection

Here’s a great coin for the specialist in Braided Hair large cents. Only 3 of the N-1 1846 Small Date variety in Red Brown have been graded by PCGS. And this MS65RB offering from AUCM is the sole finest of the N-1. In CAC, there are 13 in MS65RB with just one finer. CAC gives this variety a price of $6,000.00 in MS65RB.

Ron Guth writes in PCGS Coinfacts, “1846 Large Cents are found with one of three different date sizes: Small; Medium, or Tall. The Small Date is plentiful because it appeared on numerous obverses and die varieties. Based on Population Report data, the Small Date is considerably more common than the Medium Date (only one variety) and the Tall Date (second most common major 1846 variety)…. Red-Brown Small Dates are four times as rare as the Brown examples, and PCGS has yet to grade a Red example.”

1846 Braided Hair Large Cent, date comparison. Photo: PCGS Coinfacts.