1797 Liberty Cap Half Cent. C-3b. Rarity-4. Lettered Edge. VF-25 (PCGS). A smooth, inviting example of this scarce and conditionally challenging die pairing. Richly toned in a blend of mahogany and deep copper-rose patina, the surfaces are hard, tight and satiny with remarkably few marks. Even under close inspection with a loupe one will find only a few trivial blemishes scattered about. The most significant for provenance purposes are a tiny nick at the base of Libertys neck and an even fainter depression below the letter C in CENT. The strike is off center to 11 oclock on the obverse with no denticulation along the upper left border on that side, exceptionally broad denticulation at the lower right. The reverse is better centered, yet with soft detail along the upper border. Otherwise we note bold to sharp definition in all areas. Attractive in all regards, and sure to see spirited bidding among discerning half cent enthusiasts. Manley Die State 3.0.Today approximately 75 examples of the 1797 C-3b are believed extant (per Bill Eckberg, 2019), which is certainly more than had been confirmed in Proskeys day, but still far too small a number to satisfy demand from early copper specialists. The grade distribution of this variety is similar to most others in the Liberty Cap half cent series: most are in the lowest circulated grades, often impaired. Prior to this sale we had offered only 10 examples at auction since 2003, the finest of which was a PCGS VF-30 that realized $14,400 as lot 3093 in our March 2020 Auction. Six of the remaining nine were impaired, the sole "straight graded" coins in that group the Reiver-ESM specimen in PCGS VF-20, a VF-20 BN certified by NGC, and a PCGS VG-10. While not in the same league as the two (!) Missouri Cabinet specimens (PCGS AU-53 and EF-45), the present example is still distinctly finer than most 1797 C-3b half cents and would make a significant addition to an advanced holding. The plate coin for Die State 3.0 in the 1998 half cent reference by Ronald P. Manley.
