1793 Flowing Hair Large Cent

Don in SJ

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May 20, 2005
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This morning was to be a hunt where I was going to stay in the woods, lunch, and do alot of exploring 4 sites that I know of. But the flooding that has hit our immediate area lately has not really subsided too much in the woods and lots of houses still surrounded by water. So I had trouble even walking the old dirt roads and even in the adjoining woods water was everywhere.

I eventually gave up on my main goal for the day and decided to hit the site where I got the War of 1812 Irish Union Greens button last year. That site is tiny but I got that button, a 1797 Half Cent and a 1699 William III Halfpenny there, so it was worth my effort to hit more of the perimeter of the site today.

I finally heard a good tone in the headphones that screamed possible copper, and deep! I guess it was about 8 inches or so down and out pops a thick copper. As soon as I picked it up I thought for sure it was a lettered edge variety of the Liberty Caps and most likely a 1794, so I had hopes of a Starred Reverse ( big dreams :D) I could not identify the coin due to the crud on it but was certain it was an early year large cent. The only other good diggable reading was only about 8 feet away but that was a large flat button, which is fine with me.

The hunt was cut short by me due to back and neck issues and the thought of a 50 minute walk back to my truck so I was happy I got at least one copper and a called it a day.

I put the coin in peroxide when I got home, emailed my son that I probably got a Liberty Cap Large Cent and then after about 10 minutes in the peroxide I took the coin out and using a wet q-tip gently started to remove the now loosened crud. To my delight I saw the scraggly hair of a 1793 Large Cent~! A goal coin of mine for a couple decades!! I have two 1793 Half Cents but this is special, and even though it was not the highly sought after Chain Cent, I'll take a Lettered Edge Flowing Hair Wreath type anyday!!

Upon final cleaning, the Obverse has all the details and not too bad, except for that guy back in the 1790s to early 1800s who tried to hole this copper with a square nail! >:(

But the Reverse was evidently never struck well and very little detail is visible but at least after final cleaning some of the Wreath is visible. The Edge Lettering is in great shape.

The last two photos were taken on the drive home a local Alpaca farm is slightly flooded and the road I was on, the water was flowing like a stream.

Don

I have noticed a lot of people call other years Flowing Hair Cents and that is erroneous to do so, only the 1793 is a Flowing Hair cent.
 

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Upvote 0

Jason in TN

Bronze Member
Oct 29, 2004
1,253
19
East Tennessee
One of my detecting buddies found one of those about 10 feet from my truck door when we were out hunting one day.
Just my luck. That is one great find hope to find one my self one day.

Jason
 

Green1

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Mar 20, 2006
3,930
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Massachusetts
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Awesome dude ... Totally AWESOME !!! :icon_thumright: :icon_thumleft: This is the first 1 of these iv'e ever seen posted anywhere... :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
 

prolab69

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Oct 8, 2007
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Wow man, Big congrats on banner. It belongs there for sure :icon_thumleft: makes me really want to find some older sites, all my large cents are 1820s-30s range
 

West Jersey Detecting

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Oct 23, 2006
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Don,

Congrats again on a great find and of course on your banner. It is always a great moment when you find a coin that was one of your goals.

I am curious if you are able to narrow down the variety of the cent?

(I think it may be time to change your avatar to the Flowing Hair Cent!)
 

The Seeker

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Nov 21, 2005
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That is a great coin Don.....Just like Ironpatch said, that is one of the oldest and nicest early large cents I have seen in a while! WTG

John W.
 

OP
OP
Don in SJ

Don in SJ

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May 20, 2005
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Neil in West Jersey said:
Don,

Congrats again on a great find and of course on your banner. It is always a great moment when you find a coin that was one of your goals.

I am curious if you are able to narrow down the variety of the cent?

(I think it may be time to change your avatar to the Flowing Hair Cent!)

Neil, sorry, I love my NJ copper as my Avatar for the foreseeable future :icon_thumright: Although the scraggly hair coin would look good there, without a doubt. ;D

As far as variety goes, that was simple, there are only two varieties of Lettered Edge Wreath types, both are IDENTICAL except for the Sheldon 11b one has two oak leaves on the edge lettering and Sheldon 11c has only one Oak leaf on the edge lettering. Mine is the later. Sheldon 11c

Many thanks to all the kudos on this coin, I was just lucky to be at the right location to find one and it may be another two decades till I get my next one. ::)

Don
 

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Born2Dtect

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Jun 11, 2004
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Hurlock, Maryland
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Very nice, Don. I can't, tell by the picture. Is the reverse Chain or the Wreath version. By the way I found a "Little Sister' in March a 1793 1/2 cent, made just 6 months after they started making the flowing hair "Chain Cent'. It looks like it was made into a cape button, cool. I also found a 1757 1/2 Real last month that had a button shank attached to it. I guess I should get a few pictures taken and post for all to enjoy.

Way to Go Don!

Ed D.
 

Born2Dtect

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Jun 11, 2004
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My Bad!

Oooops. I reread Dons post. He already answered my question, it is a wreath version. Still "Sweet" in my book too.

Ed D.
 

Goldirocks

Sr. Member
Jan 12, 2007
349
97
Wow that is a great find Don! You sure are doing well. Buttons and coins. Have to start calling you a nick name of some sort:)
 

Skrimpy

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Aug 16, 2006
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smAlbany, NY
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PCGS has this coin id-able at $1,950. Of course, the hole some jerk was using to make a necklace makes it worth a heck of a lot less, but the coin is still freakin cool.
 

dfx willy

Bronze Member
Nov 7, 2008
2,237
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i keep coming back to look at this!! it might have to be one of my new goals. man she sure is sweet. willy
 

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