1812 Classic Head Cent. S-290. Rarity-1. Small Date. MS-63 BN (PCGS).<strong>Type:</strong> Classic Head.<p><strong>Design</strong>: Obv: A head of Liberty faces left with 13 stars around the border arranged seven left, six right. The date 1812 is below. Liberty is wearing a fillet inscribed LIBERTY. Rev: A circular wreath encloses the denomination ONE CENT with the legend UNITED STATES OF AMERICA around the border.<p><strong>Weight Standard:</strong> 10.89 grams.<p><strong>Diameter</strong>: 29 mm.<p><strong>Die Variety:</strong> Sheldon-290, Breen-2. Obv: Small Date, with a light die scratch extending into the neck from the hair just below the center dot. S-290 represents the only use of this obverse die. Rev: Without the die gouge (a.k.a. "dash") in the field below the upright of the letter E in ONE, which is diagnostic for a reverse die of the 1812 issue paired with a Small Date obverse. S-290 also represents the only use of this reverse die.<p>Along with S-291, S-290 corresponds to the Small Date <em>Guide Book</em> variety of the 1812 Classic Head cent.<p><strong>Die State:</strong> Noyes A/A, Breen II. Obv: Perfect. Rev: Lightly clashed within the wreath before and, especially, after the denomination ONE CENT.<p><strong>Edge:</strong> Plain.<p><strong>Mintage for the Issue:</strong> 1,075,500 coins.<p><strong>Estimated Surviving Population for the Die Variety:</strong> Rarity-1: More than 1,500 coins in all grades.<p><strong>Strike:</strong> A generally crisp, early impression from the dies, both sides are well centered with otherwise full denticulation that wanes only at the upper right reverse border. The central design elements are boldly to sharply defined, stars 5 to 7 blunt, but the remaining ones with more or less full centrils.<p><strong>Surfaces:</strong> This is a hard, tight example with a bold satin to softly frosted texture. The reverse is warmly toned in sandy-brown with traces of faded mint color remaining in the protected areas around the letters UNITED ST in the legend. Considerably more original color remains on the obverse, where there is a blend of medium orange and sandy-brown. A few swirls of slightly deeper olive-gray patina are evident in the field before Libertys nose and in the upper right obverse field. Faint flyspecks are easily overlooked. The surfaces are smooth with no sizable marks. There are a few wispy marks over and around star 3 on the obverse and a tiny nick in the reverse field above the ribbon end.<p><strong>Commentary:</strong> This is an attractive high grade example of both the type and <em>Guide Book</em> variety that also ranks among the finer survivors from the 1812 Sheldon-290 dies. The 2015 Noyes census assigns this coin an EAC grade of AU50(AU55) Average and ranks it tied for CC#11. Unlisted in the published Bland census of 2000, which includes coins that range in EAC grade from MS-65 to MS-60.PCGS# 1561. NGC ID: 224W.PCGS Population (both die marriages of the Small Date variety): 6; 7 finer (MS-65 BN finest). There are also three grading events in the RB category at this service: (2) MS-64 RB; MS-65 RB.From the ESM Collection. Earlier ex Spink Americas sale of June 1997, lot 104; J. Wilson.
