1802 Large Cent - 1802 1C PCGS VF35 CAC. S-232. This mainly chocolate brown 1802 Large Cent has hard, glossy surfaces. The hair above Libertys forehead and to the left of her eye is well outlined and shows a large amount of detail. So do the lines of drapery and the leaves of the olive branches on the reverse. About three quarters of the obverse dentils and all of the reverse dentils are strong. The surfaces are original and clean for the grade with no notable abrasion marks or other distractions. The CAC sticker indicates that the coin is a premium quality piece that fully merits the assigned grade. 

The S-232 die variety is identified by the T in LIBERTY cut over a Y. The point of the curl is below the right edge of the upright of the B. The highest wave of hair is under the left edge of the right upright of the B. The reverse shows an incused line of dentils between the wreath and AMERICA. The N and T of CENT are fused at the top, and a small tag hangs from the right pendant of the T in CENT. Defects are found at the right foot of all Ts. The fraction bar is long, and it almost touches both ribbons. The point of the highest leaf is to the right of the S in STATES.

The coin designed by Robert Scot, shows Liberty in profile facing right. Her hair is tied with a ribbon in the back but most of it falls to her shoulder with a curl below the truncation. Each strand of hair ends in a curl. LIBERTY is above and the date is below. The design was based on a drawing by Gilbert Stuart that was first used on some silver dollars of 1795 and later used on half-cents of 1800 to 1808. 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.    

Scot was born in 1744. It is uncertain if he was born in Edinburgh, Scotland or in England. He was trained as a watchmaker in England and learned engraving afterwards. He moved to the United States in 1777, where he worked as an engraver of plates, bills of exchange, and office scales. During the Revolution, he was an engraver of paper money. In 1781 he moved to Philadelphia. He was appointed Chief Engraver of the United States Mint on November 23, 1793 by David Rittenhouse, Mint Director. His salary in 1795 was $1,200 per year. The Mint Director received only $800 dollars per year more. Scots ability to make dies was limited, and in his advanced years he had failing eyesight. His work was somewhat less than that done in Europe at the time, and Scot was criticized for its poor quality. Despite these limitations, he was responsible for designs of most of Americas first coins. These include the Flowing Hair and the Draped Bust motifs used on early silver coins and the Capped Bust gold coins. Scot also designed the 1794-1797 half-cent, the 1800-1808 draped bust half-cent, and the Thomas Jefferson Indian Peace Medal.

In its population report, CAC, as of August 2013, shows 1 1802 Large Cent, the present coin, confirmed in VF 35 condition with 5 better. CAC does not distinguish among die varieties of Large Cents.