1800 Draped Bust Half Cent. C-1, the only known dies. Rarity-2. MS-62+ RD (PCGS).A superior quality survivor of this popular first year Draped Bust half cent issue that is sure to have no difficulty finding its way into a high grade collection. Vivid deep rose surfaces retain full mint color, the texture soft and satiny throughout. Boldly defined from a nicely centered strike, trivial handling marks and glints of faint carbon are all that seem to preclude a Choice Mint State grade. Manley Die State 4.0.Due to its status as the first issue in the Draped Bust half cent series, the 1800 is a perennial favorite among type collectors as well as early copper enthusiasts. Using a design attributed to famed portraitist Gilbert Stuart, Engraver Robert Scot prepared the device punch for the new Draped Bust half cent sometime between late 1798 and the spring of 1800. The first dies followed, a single obverse and reverse pairing used to deliver the entire 1800-dated mintage. The copper was almost exclusively from Welsh mines, the metal made into planchets by the Birmingham-based firm of Boulton & Watt. A limited number of 1800 half cents are known struck on spoiled large cents, in the same manner as the final 1797-dated Liberty Cap coins of the C-3a, 3b and 3c varieties; those are attributed as Breen-1a.Mint State survivors are plentiful by the standards of the type thanks to the discovery of two significant hoards during the early 20th century. The first surfaced in New England prior to 1910, while the second came out of Boston during the 1930s. The typical Uncirculated example from these finds is Brown, although the occasional Red and Brown coin is available to the persistent buyer. In full Red, as here, this issue is rare and seldom offered. Clearly the present offering represents a fleeting bidding opportunity for the advanced type collector or early copper enthusiast.PCGS# 1053. NGC ID: 222B.From our (Stacks Bowers) March 2018 Baltimore sale, lot 3120.
