1795 Cent - 1795 1c Plain Edge, PCGS XF45 CAC, S-76B. Hard, chocolate brown surfaces characterize this Plain Edge 1795 Large Cent. The surfaces are also original and clean for the grade with no individually disturbing abrasion marks or other distractions. The coin is well struck with considerable hair and leaf detail present. Except for the upper reverse, dentils are present on both sides and strongest on the right side of both obverse and reverse. The CAC sticker confirms that the coin is a premium quality piece that is well within the assigned grade range. The vertical marks on the obverse and the diagonal and horizontal marks on the reverse are on the holder not the coin.  

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 is plain. 

The S-76B, a plain edge variety, is identified by about half of the top of the 5 in the date being imbedded in the bust. The pole is close but does not touch the bust, and the juncture of the hair and forehead is just below the right foot of the T in LIBERTY. The second and upper half of the third hair locks are severed from the hair. The reverse shows ONE CENT high in the wreath. Three leaves are under the D in UNITED. Both branches of the wreath end in a single leaf. There is a short fraction bar. The right stem of the wreath points to the right foot of the second A in AMERICA. The die shows crumbling at OF, at the N of ONE, and at the CEN of CENT. 

The early Mint in Philadelphia had many challenges. 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. In addition to yellow fever, chaos 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. 

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.

John Smith Gardner was an Assistant Mint Engraver from 1794 to 1796. Very little is known about his personal life. He was never fully commissioned, and it is not known how much engraving work was done by Gardner and how much was Robert Scots. Some researchers feel that Gardner did most of the work during this time. Gardner resigned from the Mint in March 1796 and was rehired for a short time in the summer.

In its population report, PCGS has certified 26 Plain Edge 1795 large cents at the XF 45 grade level. As of March 2013, CAC has confirmed 3 in XF45 condition.