1803 1C S-261, Sm Date, Lg Frac, BN MS(PCGS#36407)

1803 1C S-261, Sm Date, Lg Frac, BN MS (PCGS#36407)

Spring 2026 Showcase Auction U.S. Coins

Lot Description: Breen Die State IV, with the arcing crack on the obverse pronounced. This is the same obverse die that would be used many decades later to produce the private restrike 1804 cents, then in a heavily rusted state with the date altered, but with the arcing crack still prominent. Boldly defined overall with all design elements readily appreciable, Liberty's hair and bust are particularly impressive for the crispness of detail that they show. The reverse is typically softer with many of the leaf clusters in the wreath blunt. The obverse exhibits nice gloss with blended medium brown, golden-tan and olive-copper patina, while the harder reverse exhibits steely olive-brown patina overall with splashes of brick-red color, some of which reveal light roughness under magnification. Concentrations of tiny handling marks in the obverse field areas below Liberty's chin and behind the lowermost curls are also noted, but the surfaces are otherwise pleasingly smooth, and present as such during in-hand viewing. A famous example of the Sheldon-261 dies with an extensive and impressive numismatic provenance, the Widmer Family specimen is tied for CC#2 in the Bland census with an EAC grade of AU55, while Noyes calls it EAC AU55, net EF40, and has it tied for CC#7.