1794 1/2C C-3a, BN MS(PCGS#35030)

1794 1/2C C-3a, BN MS (PCGS#35030)

Spring 2026 Showcase Auction U.S. Coins

Lot Description: Manley Die State 2.0. Rich chocolate-brown and steely-copper patina blankets surfaces that retain bold VF detail in most areas. The only mentionable softness is confined to the left obverse border, which is devoid of denticulation due to less than perfect centering on that side. Microgranular in texture, a few faint scratches on Liberty's cheek and the cap are also noted for accuracy, but all of these features are easily overlooked during in-hand viewing.<p>While this is the more frequently encountered subvariety of the 1794 C-3 dies by a wide margin, the Small Edge Letters is still very scarce with an extant population of only 55 to 60 coins, per Bill Eckberg (2019), or 60 to 65 coins as related in Ed Fuhrman's slightly more modern (2022) reference <em>The Half Cent Handbook</em>. Both authors also recognize the conditionally challenged nature of the 1794 C-3a attribution, with Eckberg noting, "It is extremely rare in VF and higher grades," Fuhrman: "VFs and higher are quite rare and will easily cost well above $10K, and that's if you can even locate one for sale." The minor surface problems noted above argue for an EAC grade of Fine-12 for the Widmer Family specimen, but with the detail it offers, it still numbers among the more significant examples available to advanced half cent variety enthusiasts.