A 1793 S-6 wreath cent realised $399,500 in a sale of US coins at Heritage Auctions in Chicago on August 12-16.
The lot is one of the five finest known 1793 wreath cents in existence.
 The 1793 wreath cent was the second US cent ever issued |
The coin was the second iteration of the cent, issued following the release of the Chain cent earlier that same year.
Heritage explains its magnetic appeal: "This extraordinary cent exhibits considerable original orange mint color, and that alone is almost unheard of for a 1793 cent.
"The pristine bluish olive-brown surfaces are exceptionally attractive and free of blemishes. The strike is bold with excellent centering that shows full border beading, especially on the reverse.
"Bill Noyes grades this piece MS65 and Del Bland assigns the same grade. Our opinion is exactly the same. This is a remarkable cent, one of just two S-6 cents that Bill Noyes grades Mint State."
An 1856-O $20 also sold well, achieving $340,750.
The lot is among the rarest coins produced at the New Orleans Mint. It was issued in a low run of 2,250 and a past lack of interest in mintmarks among numismatists ensured that few survived.
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