1803 1C No Stems, BN MS(PCGS#921501)

Spring 2026 Showcase Auction U.S. Coins

Auctioneer

Stack's Bowers

Lot Number

2203

Grade

AU55BN

Price

3,840

Lot Description

Breen Die State I. This is a hard and frosty medium brown example with appreciable gloss evident. The impression is ideally centered on the obverse, the border fully and uniformly denticulated on that side. The reverse border is also fully denticulated, although the strike is drawn to 9 o'clock with the denticles markedly broader from 1 to 5 o'clock. Most of the leaves in the wreath are blunt, as is Liberty's lowest hair curl and the ribbon ends, but all other features are boldly to sharply defined. We note particularly crisp definition to most of Liberty's hair strands and the lines in the drapery. There are few blemishes and most areas present as smooth to the unaided eye. A dull mark in the hair above Liberty's ear, another at the junction of the bust and throat, and tiny carbon spots at the digit 3 in the date and at the border below the end of the bust will serve as useful identifiers to track this coin in future market appearances.<p>Sheldon-243 is one of the most readily attributable and popular die pairings of the 1803-dated Draped Bust cent. The Stemless Wreath feature alone is sufficient to attribute this variety, as all others of this issue have both stems. As if the lack of stems was not enough, the reverse die of this variety has two other naked eye attributes: wide repunching to the final letter S in STATES and an extra fraction bar below the primary one. Breen lists this die marriage as the first produced for the 1803-dated Draped Bust cent, no doubt because it shares its reverse with the 1802 S-241 variety. Interestingly, the 1803 S-243 was struck before the 1802 S-241. In the S-243 pairing the reverse is always found perfect with none of the cracks and border breaks that develop in the S-241 marriage.<p>The Widmer Family specimen is not included in the Bland census for the S-243 dies published in 2000, which includes coins that range in EAC grade from MS63 to EF40. In the 2015 Noyes census this coin is tied for CC#15 with a grade of VF30(EF40) Average. It is an attractive example of a perennially popular <em>Guide Book</em> variety that will be perfect for another specialized cabinet.