1795 C-1c R8 Thin Planchet with Plain Edge AG3. Sharpness near G4 but the fields and protected areas are covered with uniform fine roughness while the devices are smooth. No verdigris. The only marks are a small rim nick over T in LIBERTY and two obvious scratches in the center of the reverse. The date is weak but readable and most of the legends remain readable as well. LDS, Manley state 2.0. An unimpressive, generic half cent except for two important things: the planchet is thin and it has no edge letters. While a small number of thin planchet examples have been identified (we sold one of them in our Davy I sale, 9/19/2010, lot 20, and three more in our Davy II sale 9/4/2011, lots 121-123), all of those had lettered edges. The weights of those 4 pieces were 92.7, 77.2, 95.9, and 91.9 grains respectively versus the thick planchet standard of 104.0 grains. But this one, weighing 89.5 grains, has no trace of edge letters and apparently failed to pass through the Castaing machine during the minting process. This is the only example of 1795 C-1 known to us that has an unlettered edge. The Gilbert "Plain Edge" example, cataloged by him in his book as the Gilbert-2 variety, was a normal thick planchet version with the edge letters filed off. We sold it in our Davy I sale, 9/19/2010, lot 21. We checked very carefully to insure the edge of this Carvin Goodridge example did not suffer a similar fate. We did find light scrape marks on less than half of the edge, but the other half shows only normal circulation marks and no hint of metal removal to obliterate edge letters. Therefore we have to conclude the edge was never lettered. Obviously this is a very important piece for the serious specialist of the half cent series. Weight 89.5 grains.
Estimated Value $1,000-UP.
Ex Allen's Coins (bourse dealer) 8/29/1981.
The Carvin Goodridge Collection of Half Cents
