Name: 1801 1C NC-3 R.6+ 1/000 G06 PCGS CAC EX REYNOLDS/MERVIS
Brand: PCGS
SKU: 32777266
Price: 3250.00 USD
Availability: InStock

1801 Draped Bust Large Cent NC-3, R.6+ 1/000 PCGS G06 CAC – Ex Reynolds / Hettger / Doug Bird / Hannigan / Mervis. An exceedingly rare and historically significant early copper with every whos who in early copper pedigreed to this coin - this 1801 Draped Bust cent, NC-3 (Sheldon-221), is among the most coveted non-collectible die marriages in the entire early large-cent series. Featuring the dramatic 1/000 fraction blunder — with clear remnants of the underlying digits visible beneath the final “1” — this variety is a tangible artifact of the U.S. Mint’s early hand-punching era and a trophy piece for advanced early-cent specialists. Fewer than a dozen examples are believed to exist today in all grades, and none finer than VG-8 are known. Certified Good-06 by PCGS and approved by CAC, this piece is remarkably wholesome and well-balanced for the grade. Its surfaces exhibit a glossy light olive-brown and steel coloration with scattered reddish-brown accents, imparting depth and visual character. The obverse shows a pleasing matte texture and is mostly smooth aside from a few tiny areas of microscopic roughness and a streak of darker toning extending from the “L” of LIBERTY to the rim left of Liberty’s hair ribbon. The date is bold, and most peripheral legends remain clear, though “ES-OF-A” — softly struck in this marriage — has faded with circulation. The devices, though softened by honest circulation wear, remain distinct, and the surfaces are notably free from distracting marks or corrosion — a rare attribute in such a seldom-seen variety. Pedigreed through a distinguished chain of collections — Henry T. Hettger (M&G EAC 5/2011:266), Doug Bird, Greg Hannigan, Adam Mervis (Heritage 1/2014:2751), and Reynolds 2016 — this example carries not just immense rarity but exceptional provenance. With only 10–12 examples believed extant and virtually none offered publicly, this NC-3 1/000 error is a key opportunity for the advanced collector seeking one of the rarest and most intriguing die marriages of the early Draped Bust cent series — a coin that bridges America’s earliest minting practices with over two centuries of numismatic history. Today PCGS values this at $3,275 and CAC at $3,300, which is primarly from a VG08 non-CAC sale with obvious issues at $3,600 01/25 HA.

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1801 1C NC-3 R.6+ 1/000 G06 PCGS CAC EX REYNOLDS/MERVIS