Wreath Cents 1793 Coin Guide
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Wreath Cents 1793
The first copper coins of the new United States Mint struck for general
circulation were the 1793 Chain Cents. These historic coins also had the
unpleasant distinction of being the first American design subjected to
intense public ridicule.
Abuse of some kind greeted nearly all new U.S. coin designs over the
next 200 years, but the fledgling Philadelphia Mint was not ready for it
in 1793. It was not that Mint personnel were unusually sensitive, but the
criticisms echoed in the halls of Congress, where calls for abolishing the
Mint entirely were soon heard, made them question their prospects for
continued employment.
Adding to the Mint's woes was the lack of decent steel for desperately
needed coinage dies, a shortage of quality copper and the rickety and
unreliable rollers needed to flatten copper into sheets. Working hours
were brutal, though a daily rum ration eased some of the pain. More
frightening and disruptive was the annual outbreak of seemingly
inescapable yellow fever that paralyzed Philadelphia in the late summer
months, sending its affluent residents fleeing to the countryside. The
poor had no such escape, and the death rate was alarming.
Despite these obstacles, a quick change of the cent design seemed
desirable, and Mint Director David Rittenhouse first told coiner Adam
Eckfeldt to delete the offending chains from the reverse. He retained the
flowing-hair Liberty head which had caused the Pennsylvania Gazette to
report in March of 1793 that "Liberty appears to be in a
fright."
Unknown to newspaper writers of the era, the first Liberty heads were
actually inspired by French medalist Augustin Dupre's elegant Libertas
Americana medal, a public relations effort of American statesman Benjamin
Franklin. Struck by the Paris Mint in 1783 to hail American victories in
the Revolution, the medal's handsome Liberty displayed streaming locks
symbolizing freedom.
The new Liberty head had long, separate locks blowing even more wildly
than those on the Chain coins. The new reverse presented an elegant wreath
of elongated leaves resembling laurel, the ancient symbol of victory. Just
above the heavy bow appear three-part leaves or trefoils suggesting cotton
or even maple leaves. Thrusting outward are hair-thin stems bearing three
or four tiny round berries wholly unlike laurel. (Later large cents all
bear undeniably laurel wreaths with their large round berries, but no one
knows for sure just what plant or plants Rittenhouse was depicting in 1793
on his obverses or reverses. It is possible that the aged scientist had a
composite in mind for his elegant wreath, but the truth may never be
known).
A small fraction 1/100 appears below the bow, a reminder to most
Americans then living that the new nation's coinage was decimal. Another
reminder appeared on the edges of some varieties, the incuse message ONE
HUNDRED FOR A DOLLAR, followed by either one or two leaves. A third edge
type is the ornate Vine and Bars design, and the Sheldon 11 variety is
known with all three edges!
The great copper cataloguer Dr. William H. Sheldon divided the Wreath
cents into nine varieties that are within collectors' reach and four
varieties termed NC or "Non-Collectable". NC varieties are
scattered among all early cent dates and are the dream of many a
sharp-eyed copper specialist.
All varieties but one show a three-leaf laurel-like sprig of varied
shape just above the date. The exception is NC-5, the "Strawberry
leaf" rarity. On Sheldon varieties S-5, -6 and -7 this sprig is well
designed and outspread; on S-8 and -9 it shows a stem following the
curvature of the date with upright leaves. S-10 has an oddly stemless
sprig with three skinny, angular leaves, and the three S-11 coins show a
sprig "windblown" toward the right.
Perhaps four or five low-grade examples of the ultra-rare
"Strawberry Leaf" (NC-2 and NC-3) exist today. Discovered before
1869 by pioneer copper collector Richard Winsor, this rarity was first
called the "Clover Leaf." Here again, no one knows with absolute
certainty what plant was intended by die sinker Eckfeldt or even why such
a visible change was attempted.
Philadelphia Mint records show that 63,353 Wreath cents were struck.
Many were saved, probably as curiosities. A number were set aside by
visiting Britons, for whom the coin collecting hobby was already well
established. Possibly 6% or 7% of the mintage survives today, most in very
low grades. As many as 40 pieces may exist in Extremely Fine-40 through
Mint State-70. One actual MS-70 example of Sheldon 5 is recognized by the
Early American Copper Society (EAC). Originally in the William Cutler
Atwater collection sold by the colorful B. Max Mehl in 1945, this coin is
remarkably well centered and appears to have been struck on a polished
planchet. It may have been prepared as a presentation piece, not unlike
several other specimens from the collections of Dr. Sheldon and George
Clapp.
Assembling a collection of all varieties other than the NC's is a
reasonable goal if the buyer does not insist on all mint state examples.
Collecting all varieties, including the NC's is virtually impossible,
though discovery of unknown specimens in the past has had a way of making
rare, though collectable coins out of Non-Collectables.
More concentrated study has been lavished on early large cents than on
any other U.S. series of any era. The body of specialized literature is
immense, and specialty clubs exist to nurture such collecting. Because of
the dedication of cataloguers such as Sylvester S. Crosby, J.N.T. Levick,
Edouard Frossard, David Proskey and Francis Doughty in the 19th and early
20th centuries, and Dr. William H. Sheldon in recent times, the early
large cents and particularly the 1793-94 issues are well charted. Today's
collector need not immerse himself in this field, however, to get a good
overview of it and assemble a creditable collection.
Grading Wreath cents can be quite challenging, due to the variable
quality of their copper planchets. Although the points that will first
show wear are Liberty's hair at the forehead and left of her ear and the
leaves of the wreath, surfaces and color are important in ascertaining
higher grades. Many specialists adhere to standards agreed on by the EAC.
In the summer of 1793, Rittenhouse appointed portraitist Joseph Wright
acting engraver and assigned him the task of making new die punches for
the cent. Wright died of yellow fever in September, but not before
completing his new Liberty Cap design. This beautiful cent would replace
the Wreath design, making its debut in the fall of 1793.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Diameter: 26 to 28 millimeters (varies) Weight: 13.48 grams
Composition: Copper Edge: Vine and Bars or ONE HUNDRED FOR A DOLLAR with
one or two leaves.
BIBLIOGRAPHY: Alexander, David T., and DeLorey, Thomas
K., and Reed, P. Bradley, Coin World Comprehensive Catalog &
Encyclopedia of United States Coins, New York, World Almanac-Pharos Books,
1990. Breen, Walter, Walter Breen's Complete Encyclopedia of U.S. and
Colonial Coins, F.C.I. Press/Doubleday, New York, 1988. Noyes, William C.,
Noyes' Encyclopedia of Large Cents, Volume 1, Litho Technical Services,
Bloomington, MN, 1995. Noyes, William C., United States Large Cents,
1793-1814, Published by the author, Monument Beach, CA, 1991. Vermeule,
Cornelius, Numismatic Art in America, The Belknap Press of Harvard
University Press, Cambridge, MA, 1971. Sheldon, William H., Penny Whimsy,
A Revision of Early American Cents 1793-1814, Quarterman Publications,
Lawrence, MA, 1976.
Coin Information Provided Courtesy NGC.
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