1809 1C S-280, BN MS(PCGS#36466)

1809 1C S-280, BN MS (PCGS#36466)

Spring 2026 Showcase Auction U.S. Coins

Lot Description: Breen Die State VII. This pretty piece exhibits subtle lilac highlights to dominant glossy brown patina, portions of the peripheries on both sides also displaying golden-rose hues where traces of original mint color remain. The die state is advanced, blurring some of the details, but there is little actual wear, and the in-hand appearance is suitably bold. Marks are few in number and trivial with only faint, minor scratches at the obverse border outside stars 5 and 6 and in the reverse field between the words ONE and CENT offering themselves up as useful provenance markers.<p>All 1809 cents were struck from a single pair of dies, a combination that saw extensive use and fatigue over the course of its life. Because of this issue's relative scarcity, particularly in the finer circulated and all Mint States grades, it has long been considered a semi-key date, trailing rarities like the cents of 1799, 1804, and 1793, but more difficult to find than most others. Gems are unknown. PCGS has never graded even a single specimen of this date finer than MS-64 BN, nor has the RB or RD color designation ever been offered. The present example is among the finest obtainable at the certified Choice AU grade level, a highlight of the extensive Widmer Family Collection, and a find for other advanced early copper specialists.