1797 Draped Bust Cent. S-136, B-7. Rarity-3. Reverse of 1797, Stems to Wreath. MS-62 BN (PCGS).Breen Die State V. An illustrious and well-known example of the Sheldon-136 dies. Both sides present as virtually pristine during in-hand viewing, there being no blemishes of note apart from a couple of faint hairlines on Libertys cheek and a tiny planchet pit just inside 7 oclock on the obverse border. The reverse is typically soft for the variety, the result of injury to the die, but the overall design on this side is fully appreciable. The obverse is impressively sharp, and both sides are lustrous with a hard, frosty texture. Even warm orange-brown patina graces both sides enhancing the eye appeal, the obverse with a blush or two of olive-copper over and before Libertys cheek. This beautiful Draped Bust cent is likely from the famed Nichols Find, which included examples of this die marriage, although not to the extent of others such as S-119, S-123 and S-135. With an EAC grade of AU55, it is tied for CC#1 in both the Bland and Noyes census listings and will be just right for another highly regarded numismatic cabinet.PCGS# 35939. BASE PCGS# 1422. NGC ID: 2242.From the Widmer Family Collection. Earlier ex David U. Proskey; Henry C. Hines; Dr. William H. Sheldon, April 19, 1972; R.E. "Ted" Naftzger, Jr., February 23, 1992; Eric Streiner; Anthony J. Terranova; Chris McCawley, November 30, 1996; W.M. "Jack" Wadlington, May 2005; Bob Grellman and Chris McCawley, July 25, 2005; Walter J. Husak; Heritages sale of the Walter J. Husak Collection, February 2008 Long Beach Signature Auction, lot 2139; Thomas D. Reynolds; Ira & Larry Goldbergs sale of the Tom Reynolds Collection, January-February 2016 Pre-Long Beach Auction, lot 110; The Liberty Cap Foundation; Heritages sale of the Collections of Walter J. Husak and The Liberty Cap Foundation, January 2024 FUN Signature Auction, lot 2123. The plate coin for the variety in the 1991 edition of the Noyes reference on large cents, and also plated in Dr. Sheldons <em>Early American Cents</em> and <em>Penny Whimsy</em>.
