1793 Flowing Hair Cent. Wreath Reverse. S-10, B-10. Rarity-4. Vine and Bars Edge. EF-40 (PCGS).Breen Die State I. Nice Extremely Fine quality for both the type and die pairing, this Sheldon-10 Wreath cent retains bold to sharp definition in most areas of the design. The high relief of Libertys portrait means that it carries much of the wear for this type, as seen here, where the hair behind the brow and neck is blunt with little delineation between individual tresses. Dusky golden-brown patina on the reverse contrasts somewhat with blended chestnut and golden-brown toning on the obverse. The impression is drawn trivially to 1 oclock on the obverse, 5 oclock on the reverse, but essentially complete border beading is evident on both sides. A few tiny pits on the obverse are native to the planchet, the reverse is overall smoother in hand, and only minor marks are noted for both sides. Some frosty texture persists on the obverse to further enhance this coins appeal.<p>While Chain cents often attract the most interest for their position as the first made, there is not a collector alive who would assert that Chain cents are more beautiful than their Wreath reverse counterparts. Breen boldly suggested that the elegance of the Wreath cents was Director David Rittenhouses answer to the newspaper criticisms lodged against the Chain cent. Though no evidence exists to support this, the fact remains that the Wreaths represented a substantial step up in both design artistry and engraving execution. The details of this fine style design suffer with even light wear, making solid EF grade Wreath cents such as this highly desirable among advanced collectors.<p>In any numismatic season a 1793 Wreath cent is an object of desire, and even coins that are worn nearly smooth command interest and attention. The 2000 reference <em>Walter Breens Encyclopedia of Early United States Cents: 1793-1814</em> states that approximately 4% of the mintage of 63,353 coins for the 1793 Wreath cent is extant, or 2,400 to 2,800 in all grades. The Sheldon-10 variety represented here probably comprised half of the 6,112 cents that the Mint delivered on April 13, 1793. Production of Sheldon-10 was intermingled with that of S-7, S-9, NC-4 and NC-5. The S-10 was discovered by George F. Seavey before 1869, and while only moderately scarce in todays market, is conditionally challenging with most survivors grading below the EAC VF35 level.PCGS# 1347. NGC ID: 223H.From the Tall Timber Type Set of U.S. Coins.
