BEAUTIFUL 1796 DRAPED BUST LARGE CENT! AND THIS IS A GOOD ONE TOO.....

[1LWiL15]

It started out like any other day metal detecting. I was out detecting a site that I have pounded many times in the past, a 1789 two-story colonial house. Every time I go back here, I always find something I missed. I normally dig all positive signals, but today it was just repeatable high tones. And there it was! My first high tone of the day. I dug it with great anticipation, hoping for a deep coin. Sure enough, the target was deep, a square nail at 10". I did this for hours, trying hard to cut through the half-frozen ground. But then, there it was; the tone I was looking for, a solid 35-36 on my Equinox. I knew this type of signal well, I have dug many coins that produce this type of signal at depth. Sure enough, a big fat large cent came up from its resting place 11" down! This in itself was very exciting, but after I rubbed it off I saw the date: 1798!! I had NEVER dug a 1700s U.S. coin before, so this coin was a major MAJOR bucket lister! After all of that work, for a beautiful coin, it couldn't get any better than that, right? WRONG!! After doing a little research on the variety, I found it to be the 1798 Reverse of 1796 variety, which is very rare and sought after by collectors! In the Red Book, this coin goes for about $250 in AG-3 and over $10,000 in EF-40, and this coin condition wise is DEFINETLY in almost mint state! (Other than the fact that it has been dug out of the ground, lol). Of course, I will never sell this find because of its value to me because I saved it, and it will always be one of my favorite treasures that i have found, a real diamond in the rough!

Link to the actual variety, notice the reverse strike on both coins.
https://coins.ha.com/itm/large-cent...die-state-v-this-variety-combin/a/390-19374.s

 

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[Digger RJ]

It started out like any other day metal detecting. I was out detecting a site that I have pounded many times in the past, a 1789 two-story colonial house. Every time I go back here, I always find something I missed. I normally dig all positive signals, but today it was just repeatable high tones. And there it was! My first high tone of the day. I dug it with great anticipation, hoping for a deep coin. Sure enough, the target was deep, a square nail at 10". I did this for hours, trying hard to cut through the half-frozen ground. But then, there it was; the tone I was looking for, a solid 35-36 on my Equinox. I knew this type of signal well, I have dug many coins that produce this type of signal at depth. Sure enough, a big fat large cent came up from its resting place 11" down! This in itself was very exciting, but after I rubbed it off I saw the date: 1798!! I had NEVER dug a 1700s U.S. coin before, so this coin was a major MAJOR bucket lister! After all of that work, for a beautiful coin, it couldn't get any better than that, right? WRONG!! After doing a little research on the variety, I found it to be the 1798 Reverse of 1796 variety, which is very rare and sought after by collectors! In the Red Book, this coin goes for about $250 in AG-3 and over $10,000 in EF-40, and this coin condition wise is DEFINETLY in almost mint state! (Other than the fact that it has been dug out of the ground, lol). Of course, I will never sell this find because of its value to me because I saved it, and it will always be one of my favorite treasures that i have found, a real diamond in the rough!

Link to the actual variety, notice the reverse strike on both coins.
https://coins.ha.com/itm/large-cent...die-state-v-this-variety-combin/a/390-19374.s

Awesome !!!! 1700'ssss!!!! Congrats!!!!!

 

[1LWiL15]

Awesome !!!! 1700'ssss!!!! Congrats!!!!!

Thank you sir!!

 

[JeffInMass]

Incredible find in absolutely amazing condition- Congrats!!

 

[Jeff H]

Congrats on a great coin. I love those early Draped Busts.

 

[rhedden]

First of all, this coin is an absolutely GREAT find! In my whole detecting career, I've only found one large cent from the 1790s, and it's completely slick with no date.

The Reverse of 1796 consists of three varieties: Sheldon-155 (somewhat scarce), Sheldon-156 (quite rare), and Sheldon-178 (quite rare). The 1796 reverse can be identified by a single leaf on the top of the right side of the wreath.

Your cent has two leaves at the top right of the wreath, so it isn't the 1796 reverse. In the Redbook, you will find it listed as Style 1 Hair. The next step would be to figure out the Sheldon variety, because some of the Style 1 Hair varieties are very tough and valuable.

Congratulations!

 

[Lenrac2]

Impressive!! Congrats!!

 

[cannonball]

It started out like any other day metal detecting. I was out detecting a site that I have pounded many times in the past, a 1789 two-story colonial house. Every time I go back here, I always find something I missed. I normally dig all positive signals, but today it was just repeatable high tones. And there it was! My first high tone of the day. I dug it with great anticipation, hoping for a deep coin. Sure enough, the target was deep, a square nail at 10". I did this for hours, trying hard to cut through the half-frozen ground. But then, there it was; the tone I was looking for, a solid 35-36 on my Equinox. I knew this type of signal well, I have dug many coins that produce this type of signal at depth. Sure enough, a big fat large cent came up from its resting place 11" down! This in itself was very exciting, but after I rubbed it off I saw the date: 1798!! I had NEVER dug a 1700s U.S. coin before, so this coin was a major MAJOR bucket lister! After all of that work, for a beautiful coin, it couldn't get any better than that, right? WRONG!! After doing a little research on the variety, I found it to be the 1798 Reverse of 1796 variety, which is very rare and sought after by collectors! In the Red Book, this coin goes for about $250 in AG-3 and over $10,000 in EF-40, and this coin condition wise is DEFINETLY in almost mint state! (Other than the fact that it has been dug out of the ground, lol). Of course, I will never sell this find because of its value to me because I saved it, and it will always be one of my favorite treasures that i have found, a real diamond in the rough!

Link to the actual variety, notice the reverse strike on both coins.
https://coins.ha.com/itm/large-cent...die-state-v-this-variety-combin/a/390-19374.s

RHEDDEN has been doing his homework! That a nice find. Congratulations!! You might want to get it slabbed and attributed if it's worth it. I use coincare to conserve large cents. Here are a few that I've dug and sent to NGC:

 

[cannonball]

First of all, this coin is an absolutely GREAT find! In my whole detecting career, I've only found one large cent from the 1790s, and it's completely slick with no date.

The Reverse of 1796 consists of three varieties: Sheldon-155 (somewhat scarce), Sheldon-156 (quite rare), and Sheldon-178 (quite rare). The 1796 reverse can be identified by a single leaf on the top of the right side of the wreath.

Your cent has two leaves at the top right of the wreath, so it isn't the 1796 reverse. In the Redbook, you will find it listed as Style 1 Hair. The next step would be to figure out the Sheldon variety, because some of the Style 1 Hair varieties are very tough and valuable.

Congratulations!

 

[cannonball]

First of all, this coin is an absolutely GREAT find! In my whole detecting career, I've only found one large cent from the 1790s, and it's completely slick with no date.

The Reverse of 1796 consists of three varieties: Sheldon-155 (somewhat scarce), Sheldon-156 (quite rare), and Sheldon-178 (quite rare). The 1796 reverse can be identified by a single leaf on the top of the right side of the wreath.

Your cent has two leaves at the top right of the wreath, so it isn't the 1796 reverse. In the Redbook, you will find it listed as Style 1 Hair. The next step would be to figure out the Sheldon variety, because some of the Style 1 Hair varieties are very tough and valuable.

Congratulations!

 

[Lost Signal]

That is a beautiful coin, right there!

 

[Silvermonkey]

Such awesome condition! Big, big congrats on finding such a lovely old coin.

 

[1LWiL15]

Congrats on a great coin. I love those early Draped Busts.

Yeah, me too. Hopefully I will get the 1799, the key date in the series.

 

[1LWiL15]

Incredible find in absolutely amazing condition- Congrats!!

Thank you Jeff!!

 

[1LWiL15]

First of all, this coin is an absolutely GREAT find! In my whole detecting career, I've only found one large cent from the 1790s, and it's completely slick with no date.

The Reverse of 1796 consists of three varieties: Sheldon-155 (somewhat scarce), Sheldon-156 (quite rare), and Sheldon-178 (quite rare). The 1796 reverse can be identified by a single leaf on the top of the right side of the wreath.

Your cent has two leaves at the top right of the wreath, so it isn't the 1796 reverse. In the Redbook, you will find it listed as Style 1 Hair. The next step would be to figure out the Sheldon variety, because some of the Style 1 Hair varieties are very tough and valuable.

Congratulations!

I see. The reverse strike looked the same to me over the "One Cent" part of the design. Bummer. I still love it!! Not many people will find 1700's large cents metal detecting. We may not have hammered coins, but our early U.S. largies have quite some appeal!

 

[Relicific]

Awesome copper

 

[CreakyDigger]

That is a gorgeous coin, my fellow upstater.

 

[1LWiL15]

That is a gorgeous coin, my fellow upstater.

Yes it is. Cheers, my fellow upstater!

 

[rhedden]

Taking a closer look at your images, I would attribute your coin as Sheldon-145. A diagnostic feature of this variety is that the fraction bar in 1/100 is connected to the right ribbon of the wreath. Sheldon-145 rates R-3, or slightly scarce, and it falls into the Style 1 hair group, as I mentioned earlier. You may enjoy looking at some photos of 1798 cents on this guy's website for comparison.

https://largecents.net/collection/1798drbust.html

 

[E-Trac-Ohio]

Congrats on a RARE and FANTASTIC find !