1799 Draped Bust Cent. S-189. Rarity-2+. VF Details--Tooled (PCGS). Secure Holder.，The predominantly bold definition of this rare cent allows ready attribution of both the date and die variety. Blended charcoal-brown and orange-copper patina is seen on both sides, with the surfaces overall rough in texture despite evidence of smoothing that explains the PCGS qualifier. A few speckles of ancient verdigris along the upper obverse border are also noted for accuracy, as is what appears to be a shallow reverse planchet flaw that has obscured the letter F in OF. The rarest <em>date</em> in the entire large cent series of 1793 to 1857, the 1799 was produced in small, albeit unknown numbers. We can discount the Mints reported delivery of 904,585 cents for calendar year 1799 since most of those coins were struck from 1798-dated dies. A small percentage of that total is believed to represent the mintage for the S-188 and NC-1 overdate varieties; the S-189 perfect date coins are thought to have been struck in 1800 since most examples, as here, are on the same dark planchets as many of the 1800 varieties. These planchets are attributed to two shipments of copper that the Mint received from Boulton in England during July of 1799. Despite its imperfections, the present example retains far more detail than many 1799/8 and 1799 cents, and it is sure to find its way into an advanced early copper collection.，PCGS# 1443. NGC ID: 2246.，，
