1793 1C Chain, Periods, BN VF35BN Certification #25218429, PCGS #91341

CoinFacts Details

Owner's Comments

Insured

Expert Comments

Ron Guth

Several varieties of the 1793 Chain Cent exist. The "Periods" variety has distinct periods after LIBERTY and the date. Since neither of these were abbreviations, the presence of the periods is puzzling.

This is the scarcest major variety of the 1793 Chain Cents. As of July 2011, PCGS had certified only 70 examples, with only one (a single PCGS MS65BN) in Mint State. Reflective of that fact, no Red-Brown or Red examples are known.

The 1793 Periods Chain Cent is under considerable demand from die variety collectors, major variety collectors, type collectors, and first-year-of-issue collectors. The fascinating chain design on the reverse is another attraction.

P. Scott Rubin

The record auction price for a large cent was achieved at the Heritage January, 2012 FUN sale, when the 3rd finest Sheldon-4, 1793 Chain Cent with Periods after the date and LIBERTY sold for $1,380,000. This coin is graded MS-65 by PCGS became only the second large cent to sell for over one million dollars at auction. While this beautiful coin has now reached the mark of over a million dollars it is interesting to note at the same sale a PCGS AU-53 coin of the same Sheldon variety and a coin tied for 5th in this issue’s census sold for $161,000. This being said now let us compare the record breaking coin to the finest S-4 known, that coin is graded by PCGS as Specimen-67 and is in a class by itself as the only Specimen graded coin of the issue and an even finer example of this early U.S. Chain Cent issue. The price of this coin must now be considered in the value range that up to now have only been achieved by coins like the 1913 Liberty Head Nickel, the 1804 Dollar and Brasher Doubloons when they reached the auction block.

PCGS #

91341

Designer

Attributed to Henry Voight

Edge

Bars and Vines

Diameter

27.00 millimeters

Weight

13.48 grams

Mintage

36103

Metal

Copper

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Region

The United States of America

Price Guide

PCGS Population

Auctions - PCGS Graded

Auctions - NGC Graded

Rarity and Survival Estimates Learn More

Grades	Survival Estimate The Survival Estimate represents an average of one or more experts opinions as to how many examples survive of a particular coin in three categories: 1) all grades, 2) 60 or better, and 3) 65 or better. These estimates are based on a variety of sources, including population reports, auction appearances, and personal knowledge. Survival estimates include coins that are raw, certified by PCGS, and certified by other grading services.	Numismatic Rarity Numismatic Rarity converts the Survival Estimate for a particular coin into a number from 1 to 10 (with decimal increments) based on the PCGS Rarity Scale. The higher the number, the more rare the coin.	Relative Rarity by Type Relative Rarity By Type ranks the rarity of this coin with all other coins of this Type. Lower numbers indicate rarer coins.	Relative Rarity by Series Relative Rarity By Series ranks the rarity of this coin with all other coins of this Series. Lower numbers indicate rarer coins.
65 or Better	325	R-6.3	2 / 3	2 / 3
All Grades	2	R-9.9	1 / 3 TIE	1 / 3 TIE
60 or Better	1	R-10.0	1 / 3 TIE	1 / 3 TIE

Survival Estimate The Survival Estimate represents an average of one or more experts opinions as to how many examples survive of a particular coin in three categories: 1) all grades, 2) 60 or better, and 3) 65 or better. These estimates are based on a variety of sources, including population reports, auction appearances, and personal knowledge. Survival estimates include coins that are raw, certified by PCGS, and certified by other grading services.
65 or Better	325
All Grades	2
60 or Better	1

Numismatic Rarity Numismatic Rarity converts the Survival Estimate for a particular coin into a number from 1 to 10 (with decimal increments) based on the PCGS Rarity Scale. The higher the number, the more rare the coin.
65 or Better	R-6.3
All Grades	R-9.9
60 or Better	R-10.0

Relative Rarity by Type Relative Rarity By Type ranks the rarity of this coin with all other coins of this Type. Lower numbers indicate rarer coins.
65 or Better	2 / 3
All Grades	1 / 3 TIE
60 or Better	1 / 3 TIE

Relative Rarity by Series Relative Rarity By Series ranks the rarity of this coin with all other coins of this Series. Lower numbers indicate rarer coins.
65 or Better	2 / 3
All Grades	1 / 3 TIE
60 or Better	1 / 3 TIE

Condition Census Learn More

Pos	Grade	Pedigree and History
1	MS66BN PCGS grade	George W. Merritt Collection - Édouard Frossard 1/1879:79 - Édouard Frossard - Lorin G. Parmelee Collection - New York Coin & Stamp Co. 6/1890:668 - Harlan P. Smith (bought in) - Dewitt Smith - Virgil M. Brand (journal #46620) - Armin Brand, sold privately on 2/7/1941 - B.G. Johnson (St. Louis Stamp & Coin Co., sold privately on 2/18/1943 - Abe Kosoff - Oscar J. Pearl Collection - Numismatic Gallery 1944 FPL, lot 3 - T. James Clarke Collection, sold privately in 10/1954 - R.E. Naftzger, Jr. Collection, sold privately on 2/23/1992 - Eric Streiner - Jay Parrino (The Mint) - Heritage 1/2015:4011, $2,350,000
2	MS65BN PCGS grade	Plated in Walter Breen's Encyclopedia of United States Large Cents 1793-1814 for the S-4 variety. W. Elliot Woodward 10/1864:603 - Joseph Zanoni - Thomas Cleneay privately - S.H. & Henry Chapman 12/1890:1795 - Charles Steigerwalt - John G. Mills - S.H. & Henry Chapman 4/1904:1227 - George H. Earle, Jr. Collection - Henry Chapman 6/1912:3355 - Henry Chapman - Clarence S. Bement - Henry Chapman 5/1916:286 - Col. James W. Ellsworth - Wayte Raymond, 1923 - William C. Atwater - B. Max Mehl 6/1946:10 - Louis E. Eliasberg, Sr. Collection - Bowers & Merena's 5/1996:487, $132,000 - Spectrum Numismatics - American Numismatic Rarities 7/2004:6, $391,000 - Heritage 1/2012:3020, $1,380,000
3	AU58 PCGS grade	Daniel F. Howorth - Lyman H. Low 9/1910:171 - Charles R. Mathewson 1955 - Copley Coin Company - Dr. William H. Sheldon - Dorothy I. Paschal - New Netherlands 12/1957:887 - Stack's 3/2006:3563, $149,500 - Heritage 8/2012:5019, $211,500
4	AU55 PCGS grade
4	AU55 PCGS grade

#1 MS66BN PCGS grade

George W. Merritt Collection - Édouard Frossard 1/1879:79 - Édouard Frossard - Lorin G. Parmelee Collection - New York Coin & Stamp Co. 6/1890:668 - Harlan P. Smith (bought in) - Dewitt Smith - Virgil M. Brand (journal #46620) - Armin Brand, sold privately on 2/7/1941 - B.G. Johnson (St. Louis Stamp & Coin Co., sold privately on 2/18/1943 - Abe Kosoff - Oscar J. Pearl Collection - Numismatic Gallery 1944 FPL, lot 3 - T. James Clarke Collection, sold privately in 10/1954 - R.E. Naftzger, Jr. Collection, sold privately on 2/23/1992 - Eric Streiner - Jay Parrino (The Mint) - Heritage 1/2015:4011, $2,350,000

#2 MS65BN PCGS grade

Plated in Walter Breen's Encyclopedia of United States Large Cents 1793-1814 for the S-4 variety.

W. Elliot Woodward 10/1864:603 - Joseph Zanoni - Thomas Cleneay privately - S.H. & Henry Chapman 12/1890:1795 - Charles Steigerwalt - John G. Mills - S.H. & Henry Chapman 4/1904:1227 - George H. Earle, Jr. Collection - Henry Chapman 6/1912:3355 - Henry Chapman - Clarence S. Bement - Henry Chapman 5/1916:286 - Col. James W. Ellsworth - Wayte Raymond, 1923 - William C. Atwater - B. Max Mehl 6/1946:10 - Louis E. Eliasberg, Sr. Collection - Bowers & Merena's 5/1996:487, $132,000 - Spectrum Numismatics - American Numismatic Rarities 7/2004:6, $391,000 - Heritage 1/2012:3020, $1,380,000

#3 AU58 PCGS grade

Daniel F. Howorth - Lyman H. Low 9/1910:171 - Charles R. Mathewson 1955 - Copley Coin Company - Dr. William H. Sheldon - Dorothy I. Paschal - New Netherlands 12/1957:887 - Stack's 3/2006:3563, $149,500 - Heritage 8/2012:5019, $211,500

#4 AU55 PCGS grade