Variety Equivalents: Breen 1657

Images courtesy of WH

Significant examples:
PCGS MS-67.  Red and Brown.  Ex - Superior Galleries "Pre-Long Beach" Elite Coin Auction, May 25-27, 2003, Lot 365, sold for $92,000.00 Ex Lincoln Seagrave-S. H. & H. Chapman 2/1903:1197-Allison W. Jackman-Henry Chapman 6/1918:695-Henry C. Hines-Dr. William H. Sheldon 4/19/72-R. E. Naftzger, Jr.,2/23/92-Eric Streiner-Jay Parrino (The Mint). 

PCGS MS-67 Red and Brown (illustrated below).  Ex - Proskey - Henry C. Hines - Dr. William H. Sheldon - Roy E. Naftzger - Jay Parrino ("The Mint") - Ira & Larry Goldberg Coins & Collectibles, Inc.'s "California Sale", October 2-3, 2000, Lot 1397, where it was described (in part) as follows: "... far and away the finest known of the variety and tied for the finest known of the type with one other graded MS-67 brown (of another variety). Examination finds virtually no sign of contact, the fields and devices are as struck. The only tiny mark we could locate is on the dentils below the 4 in the date, which serves to identify this as the above mentioned coin, plated in the Sheldon reference work as well as the Noyes book. A more beautiful coin could scarcely be imagined. Furthermore, this is the "full cheeks" variety, long popular with collectors, and almost never available in grades even approaching mint state.
As to the color, the satiny brown luster still shows forth several areas of original mint red, mostly near the devices. Fully struck by the dies, with the curious "rust" feature on Liberty's neck and in the field around the date, as noted in Sheldon. Struck from a lightly cracked obverse die, with a crack extending through the L of LIBERTY to the rim just right of the 4 in the date. The surfaces are free of specks, ticks or other signs of age or mishandling. One can only imagine that this coin was somehow set aside at the time of issue, and carefully preserved to this day."

PCGS graded MS-65 Brown.  Ex - Superior Galleries "Pre-Long Beach Coin Sale", May 27-29, 2001, Lot 1096, illustrated, "...EAC grade MS60+...", not sold

PCGS MS-61 Brown and Del Bland graded VF-35.  Ex - Ira & Larry Goldberg Coins & Collectibles, Inc.'s "Benson Collection, Part I", February 16, 18-20, 2001, Lot 258, "Sheldon-24, Rarity-1, illustrated, sold for $4,830.00, Ex: Mike Follett Rare Coin Co. 8/75; Del Bland; Myles Z. Gerson; Denis W. Loring; Jack H. Robinson, Superior Galleries 1/89:38; Dr. Robert J. Shalowitz 2/89."

Recent appearances:
PCGS AU-55 and Del Bland VF-35.  Ex - Ira & Larry Goldberg Coins & Collectibles, Inc.'s "Benson Collection, Part I", February 16, 18-20, 2001, Lot 259, "Sheldon-24, Rarity-1, illustrated, sold for $4,830.00, Ex: Superior Galleries 10/91:678; Larry Briggs Rare Coins; David Henderson (Whittier Coins); Superior Galleries Douglas F. Bird."

"AU-50".  Ex - Superior Galleries "Pre-Long Beach" Elite Coin Auction, May 25-27, 2003, Lot 366, sold for $9,200.00 Ex Superior 2/8/99:1968-Dr. Wallace Lee. 

Net EF-45, sharpness AU-50.  Ex - Auctions by Bowers and Merena, Inc.'s "The Norweb Collection: Early American and U.S. Coins, Part III", November 14-15, 1988, Lot 2701  Purchased from Henry Chapman on November 13, 1908

XF-40 Corroded.  Ex - Heritage Numismatic Auctions, Inc.'s "Santa Clara Signature Sale", November 16-17, 2000, Lot 5041, "1794 Head of 1794, Sheldon-24, Rarity-1", not illustrated, sold for $379.50  Ex: Mail Bid Sale (Coin Galleries, 5/1987), lot 1152

F12.  Ex - Superior Galleries "Pre-Long Beach Coin Sale", May 27-29, 2001, Lot 1097, illustrated, sold for $1,035.00

Del Bland graded VG-7.  Ex - Ira & Larry Goldberg Coins & Collectibles, Inc.'s "Benson Collection, Part I", February 16, 18-20, 2001, Lot 260, " 'Head of 1794,' Sheldon-24, Rarity-1", not illustrated, sold for $322.00

Sources and/or recommended reading:
"Penny Whimsy" by Dr. William H. Sheldon

"Walter Breen's Complete Encyclopedia of U.S. and Colonial Coins" by Walter Breen

Relevant collector organizations:
Early American Coppers Club