1794 Large Cent, Head of 1794 NGC VF35 BN CAC - 1794 1 Cent, Head of 1794, S-28, R2+. This Choice VF 1794 Large Cent has lovely, hard, light brown surfaces that are original and clean for the grade with few abrasion marks none of which are worthy of individual description. Libertys hair is worn, but shows detail, especially in the back of the neck. The dentils are strong on the obverse. The CAC sticker indicates that this coin is a premium quality piece that fully merits the grade assigned.

The S-28 die variety is identified by the position of LIBERTY, which is very high near the rim. Hair locks 3,4,5,6, and 8 all end in vertical lines. The date is wide and evenly spaced. The reverse shows a very tiny berry at the top of the highest leaf stem, a curled tail to the R in AMERICA, and a single leaf under the I in AMERICA.

The Liberty Cap Large Cent was designed by Joseph Wright and modified by John Smith Gardner. It was minted from 1793 to 1796. It shows a head of Liberty in profile facing left. Her hair falls in separated strands behind her shoulder. The wavy hair from her forehead is brushed back. A Phrygian or Liberty cap is in on a pole over her left shoulder. The end of the pole is visible alongside of the bust. The reverse shows an open wreath of laurel tied with a bow. Within the wreath, on two lines, is the denomination, ONE CENT. The legend UNITED STATES OF AMERICA surrounds the wreath at the periphery. At the bottom, between the ribbon ends is the fraction 1/100. There are dentils on both sides of the coin, and the edge lettered ONE HUNDRED FOR A DOLLAR, followed by a single leaf. 

Joseph Wright was a skilled engraver, painter, and sculptor. He painted several portraits of Benjamin Franklin that were lost at sea when a ship he was on ran aground during his return voyage to America from France. When he returned home, he created a bronze bust of George Washington. Later he moved to Philadelphia where he began working at the Mint in 1792. He was commissioned as a draughtsman and die sinker; although, everyone considered him to be the Chief Engraver. Unfortunately both he and his wife died in September 1793 as a result of the yellow fever epidemic that annually plagued Philadelphia.

The early Mint in Philadelphia had many challenges. Conditions were poor even at times chaotic. Each of the specialists, the designers, engravers, and press operators were men who had previously worked in other fields. Coin manufacturing was a new trade for them. Production was sporadic. For the new Mint to coin each of the mandated denominations, it took four years. This delay was partly because of inexperience and governmental obstacles. Bonds that were unrealistically high were impediments to engravers working with precious metals. Congress was not united on the need for a government mint since private and foreign coinage seemed to work. Because of the non-existent or low production numbers in the early years of the Mint, foreign copper, silver and gold circulated along with American made coins for many years until they were later demonetized.

Record keeping in the Mints early years was fairly inaccurate. At the end of the eighteenth century Philadelphia had recovered from the British occupation and Revolutionary War. It was the second largest city in the English-speaking world, but it could do nothing to protect its citizens from the mosquito-borne epidemic of yellow fever. Its wealthy citizens went to the countryside to escape, and the poor grimly waited their fate. Of course these annual epidemics caused havoc with all manufacturing that required continuity, such as a coinage sequence. The Mint shut operations during the late summer and early fall every year. In addition to yellow fever, disorder at the Mint was also caused by chronic bullion shortages and coin dies that would wear out and had to be re-engraved because they were not taken out of production until they failed completely. Often dies were locked up and later taken out of storage without great attention and care.

In its population report, NGC shows this coin, the 1794 Large Cent, S-28 in VF condition, tied with 3 others with 1 better. CAC does not distinguish Large Cents of this date by die variety.