1851 Braided Hair Liberty Head Large Cent 1C CAC MS65BN

The discovery of vast amounts of gold in California lowered this metal’s value about silver after 1849, which soon led to the hoarding or exportation of America’s silver coins. To fill the void, the U. S. Mint stepped up production of gold dollars and cents, with more than 9 million of the latter struck in 1851. While this has made them very common across most grades, the typical example shows blurry details from overused dies.

There are a total of 45 numbered die marriages for 1851 cents. After the usual deductions for those that are now known to be duplicates in later die states, the net figure is 42. Most of these look almost exactly alike to anyone but a variety specialist, but the one standout is N-3. On this obverse die, the first two numerals of the date were punched upside down and then corrected. An inverted 18 remains clearly visible underneath the 51. This variety is quite common, yet its appeal is such that it brings a premium that advances progressively with each grade.