1796 1C S-100, BN MS(PCGS#35846)

1796 1C S-100, BN MS (PCGS#35846)

Spring 2026 Showcase Auction U.S. Coins

Lot Description: Breen Die State II. One of the most famous and significant examples of this rare and challenging Sheldon number, this coin's provenance reads like a "who's who" of leading early copper collectors of the second half of the 20th and first half of the 21st centuries. It has been evaluated by both Del Bland and William C. Noyes, with the former grading it EAC VF35, net VF25, and ranking it CC#5 in his census, while Noyes says EAC VF30, net F15, with a ranking of CC#6. The surfaces are undeniably original in preservation, dark steely olive-copper with a bit of light glossiness providing further appeal. Generally bold in detail, mentionable softness is confined to the right obverse border, where no denticulation is seen, and the lower right reverse, where the letters CA in AMERICA and denomination are faint. Tiny rim nicks outside the letters T in LIBERTY and R in AMERICA are the only useful identifiers for provenance purposes. There are few other marks, in fact, although accuracy compels us to mention fine granularity overall. The 2000 Breen large cent encyclopedia observes: "This is the only Type of 1797 Small Fraction with a close curved date."