Among early American copper coins none is more famous as a variety than the 1794 Starred Reverse large cent. The offered coin is one of the very finest in existence. It was previously offered as lot 1101 in our (American Numismatic Rarities ) Thomas H. Sebring Collection sale of January 1994, where it was described as: "A remarkable specimen of this famed cent variety, one of the very finest in existence, with every single one of the 94 stars boldly detailed and visible to the naked eye. Glossy chocolate brown with tan highlights. The obverse surfaces, though exhibiting many scattered marks, are smooth, with the reverse surfaces mostly smooth but for a shallow patch of roughness within AMERICA and at the right top of the wreath. This planchet quality sets this coin apart from most others of similar sharpness. A heavy dig is present under Liberty s chin, with other less consequential contact marks elsewhere on the obverse and scattered across the reverse, a tiny rim tick is noted over M of AMERICA, and a few parallel pin scratches are present under Liberty s cap. The eye appeal remains positive, and considering this is a Starred Reverse, the eye appeal is superb -- this variety seems condemned to ugliness with very few of the 50 or so surviving specimens anywhere near choice. "Walter Breen noted that the Starred Reverse is usually in low grades, occasionally on defective planchets, and seldom showing all 94 stars, the border often being weak at upper right. This piece is of very nice sharpness for the variety, struck on a better-than-average planchet, and shows every star beautifully -- any Starred Reverse of which this can be said is a beautiful thing. This example has been ranked variously from [fifth] to [eighth] finest known, with few of the higher ranking ones showing significant flaws and the best one -- the Adams coin -- grading only EF-40. This piece is the most recently discovered of the nice Starred Reverses, turning up unattributed at ANACS in 1990. It looks as lovely as ever today, especially in comparison with other recently offered Starred Reverses, and presents a brilliant opportunity to acquire one of the most storied of all American coins."To reiterate, this is a grand opportunity to add a fantastic showpiece to your collection. Very few can compare to it in over sharpness.， Provenance: Ex Q. David Bowers; earlier discovered unattributed upon submission to ANACS in 1990; David W. Akers session of Auction 90, August 1990, lot 1508; Julian Leidman; Bowers and Merena Galleries; Dr. John A. Van Arsdall; our (Bowers and Merena s) John A. Van Arsdall, M.D. and Antelope Valley Silver Dollar Collections sale, January 1993, lot 222; Dr. John A. Van Arsdall; our (Bowers and Merena s) Baltimore ANA Auction, July-August, 2003, lot 120; our (American Numismatic Rarities ) Thomas H. Sebring Collection sale, January 2004, lot 1101; our (Stack s) Johnson-Blue Collection sale, August 2010, lot 197; our Chicago ANA Sale of August 2014, lot 13027. Est. $90,000-$130,000
