Breen 9 (Dies 5-B), Cohen 9 : High Relief Head obverse, Heavy Wreath reverse with T of CENT leaning left. Breen Die State II, as the obverse shows a fine crack from the rim at left to the lower third of the cap, and another connecting the tops of IBERTY. Reverse dentils below the fraction are beginning to crumble, but have not yet developed into the later state break noted by Breen. Finally, although a photograph of this coin is shown as an example of Breen’s Die State I, it is clearly of a later state.
Three 1794 Half Cent reverses were paired with this single “High Relief” obverse, including B.7 (C.7), with a slender reverse wreath similar to 1794 Cents, B.8 (C.8) with a heavy reverse wreath and T in CENT leaning right, and this B.9 (C.9).
Of the top coins for this die pair, there is no clear, runaway, beyond argument finest known. The two best are likely PCGS/CAC MS66RB #32157244, the better of the two William Strickland – Winn Family 1794 B.9s from the 1992 Christie’s sale of the “St. Oswald” collection, followed by the ex “Missouri Cabinet” lot 22, graded PCGS/CAC MS65RB #27203519, and currently listed in the High Desert Collection. This coin is next third or fourth, depending upon your preference, in contention with the ex McGuigan PCGS/CAC MS66BN #30451173 now in the collection of Dell Loy Hansen.
Of the nine die pairs for 1794, this is the most likely encountered, especially in upper mint state condition. This example sits high in the condition census for the date, with silky luster and substantial mint red remaining on both obverse and reverse. A dull spot in the upper right obverse field, a darker brown toning area below Liberty’s ear, and a dull spot back of the F of OF reverse are about the only complaints. While a single superb gem Breen 7 (Cohen 7) graded PCGS/CAC MS67RB #27392083 is the indisputable finest known for the date, this ex Reale – Blay PCGS/CAC MS65BN is a solid choice for what is essentially a single year type coin.
PCGS #02679148
Provenance
NASCA July 1980, lot 1067(1) at $22,575 to Steve Ivy Rare Coin Company; Garry F. Fitzgerald; later to Gene Reale; Sotheby’s January 1998, lot 1; “The Red Headed Copper Collection” by Stewart Blay; Heritage, August 2018, lot 5012 at $204,000 as PCGS/CAC MS65 BN #02679148; “The Black Cat Collection” by William Anderson.
- NASCA 7/1980 was titled as “James David Duncan Collection of U.S. Coins and Other Important Properties”. However, there is no biography of James David Duncan included, and no notations of which coins were of other properties.