1793 1C Flowing Hair Chain Reverse "America" Large Cent NGC AG Details

Product Description

A 1793 Flowing Hair Chain Reverse Large Cent "America" variety (whether there are periods or otherwise is not discernible) graded About Good Details (AG Details) Scratches by NGC. This piece displays a very worn but visible "LIBERTY", mostly worn bust details with the outline and some minor face details visible, and almost completely worn off date with only portions of the '93' visible under magnification. The reverse displays extremely worn legends with only portions of "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA" visible/readable under magnification, full visible chains, 'ONE CENT' & fraction. Scratches appear mainly on the obverse on the bust. The total known mintage for this piece is 36,103. Please view our photos for additional information and ask any questions prior to purchase.

Starting in 1793, the Flowing Hair Chain (Large) Cent became America’s first official coin minted by the United States Mint. Though only minted for about a month in 1793 with mint records indicating only 36,103 pieces were struck, the Chain Cent paved the way for future designs of American coinage. The obverse design depicts a profiled bust of Liberty with wavy ‘flowing’ hair. “LIBERTY” appears above the bust with the date below. The reverse design for which this coin named shows an interlocking fifteen link chain that represented the fifteen states that were apart of the Union at the time of mintage. The Flowing Hair Chain Cent, while an important and rare piece in United States coinage history, was met with much skepticism during its time. Newspaper articles of the time criticized the bust of Liberty, notating her facial expression left her “in a fright” while others criticized the reverse design saying it was more symbolic of slavery than unity.