1803 Large Cent - 1803 1C Small Date PCGS AU53 CAC. Small Fraction, S-251. Hard, chocolate brown and dark brown glossy surfaces characterize this 1803 Large Cent. The colors indicated the coins originality. The surfaces are also clean with few abrasion marks, none of which require individual description. Sufficient separation in the lines of Libertys hair, her drapery, the leaves, and the bow is present to confirm the grade. The CAC sticker indicates that the coin is of premium quality and fully merits the grade assigned. 

The S-251 is identified by Small Date and Small Fraction Bar. The 1 in the date is farther from Libertys hair and the 3 is father from the drapery than on any other cent of this date. The point of the curl is between the inner and outer curves of the B in LIBERTY. The junction of the hair and forehead is under the right foot of the T. There is a slight swelling under Libertys chin and a larger one under the lowest curl. The reverse has a very short fraction bar, only 2 millimeters long. The second S in STATES is recut on its right side. A small cut in the die connects the outside two leaves under the M in AMERICA with the wreath stem. The point of the leaf to the right of O in OF is under the left side of the O. 

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.    

Thomas Jefferson chose Scot to be the first Chief Engraver of the United States Mint on November 23, 1793. Scot was born in 1744 in Edinburgh, Scotland or England. (Documentary evidence is lacking as to where he was born.)  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 1780 he was made the State Engraver of Virginia. He moved to Philadelphia the next year. 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. 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. He died on November 1, 1823 and was succeeded by William Kneass as Chief Engraver.

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. There was also a jealous Chief Engraver, Robert Scot, who was in his seventies and had failing eyesight.  

In its population report, PCGS has certified 13 Small Date, Small Fraction 1803 Large Cents at the AU53BN grade level. CAC, as of July 2013, has confirmed 1, the present coin, at AU53BN.