An attention-grabbing, nearly Mint State example of this extremely popular large cent design type. Warm, even, chocolate-brown patina can be seen on both sides, with slight hints of mint red barely visible where the portrait meets the fields and in the deeper recesses in and in front of Libertys hair. Boldly to sharply defined throughout (except in areas affected by the diagnostic die buckling), with a lovely lustrous satiny appearance. Struck on an impeccable planchet with no defects of note, and with the only striking issue being that the obverse is, like most examples of this variety, struck slightly off-center towards the right. What appears to be incomplete beading at the left obverse is a result of the "sprung die" issue, discussed later.<br />The large cents of 1793 were the first coins struck by the Philadelphia Mint at their facility at Seventh and Filbert Streets. While appreciated by numismatists today, Henry Voigts original Chain cents, were not so beloved at the time, but were instead ridiculed as ugly: one oft-quoted account noting that Liberty appeared to be in a fright with the chains on the reverse as being an ill omen. Voigt replaced his earlier design with a more elegant and fuller rendition of Liberty, as on this coin, with flowing hair in bold relief on the obverse and a many-berried wreath on the reverse. Exactly when the transition from Chain to Wreath cent took place is a matter of conjecture; it has been commonly believed that the 63,353 cents that were delivered between April and July were of the Wreath type. <br /><br />The Sheldon 6 variety is often referred to as the "Sprung Die" as termed by Sylvester Crosby due to the prominent die bulging on the obverse from the back of Libertys hair to the rim that is always seen on this pairing. The buckling of the dies also caused tresses in the central part of Libertys hair to appear worn, even on mint state examples, as well as being responsible for anomalies in the beading, a chip out of the rim in front of Libertys chin and, in the final stages, also appearing to cause die cracks through and radiating from letters in the word LIBERTY. This specimen is classified by Walter Breen as Die State VI. The large cent was a utilitarian coin and saw heavy use in commerce for decades. As a result, while a few hundred S-6 cents are thought to be in numismatic holdings, most are in very low grades. Examples at the VF level and higher are few and far between and command great attention when offered. Today, large cents of all kinds are beloved by numismatists and have a long-established following. The delicate features of the wreath and its berry sprays combined with the delightfully high relief of Libertys profile have made the 1793 Wreath cents among the most coveted of all the large cent types. This opportunity should not be overlooked.,,PCGS# 1347. NGC ID: 223H.,,
