1793 Liberty Cap Half Cent. Head Left. C-3. Rarity-3. EF-40 BN (NGC). CAC. OH. A delightful jewel rich in history that goes all the way back to the founding years of the United States Mint. Warmly toned overall in medium copper-brown, both sides reveal intermingled autumn-brown where original mint color was last to fade. The texture is hard and satiny, the surfaces largely free of sizeable or otherwise worrisome marks. A shallow reverse graze that slants down to the right between the letters H in HALF and C in CENT is mentioned solely as an identifier. The strike is trivially off center to the left obverse, lower left reverse, but full border beading is seen around both sides. All major design elements are boldly defined, as well, with only light high point wear in evidence.<p>The 1793 half cent is significant as the first United States half cent, the only issue of the Liberty Cap, Head Left design type and one of just two denominations struck during the Mints first full year of coinage operations (the other is the large cent). Henry Voigt engraved the dies between late April and mid-July 1793, and by mid-May the Mint had already prepared more than 30,000 planchets for this issue, including having their edges lettered. All of the planchets were made from sheet copper. Actual coinage commenced on July 20 and continued sporadically until September 18. On that date the Mint also delivered the last of the Wreath cents, after which its doors closed so that employees could join the exodus of Philadelphians fleeing the yearly yellow fever epidemic that swept the city. When cold winter weather finally allowed the Mint to reopen on November 23, 1793, Robert Scot had been hired as engraver; his dies for the next Liberty Cap half cent issue - 1794 - featured a right facing portrait of Liberty. The present coin is about as nice as you are apt to find at the assigned grade; a plurality of survivors of this issue are porous or otherwise impaired. The fact that the 1793 is the only Liberty Cap half cent with the portrait facing left virtually guarantees that this premium quality example will catch the eye of both advanced type collectors and discerning early copper enthusiasts. PCGS# 1000. NGC ID: 2222. From the Abernathy Collection.
