FLOAT
1794 Liberty Cap large cent, Sheldon-32 'Venus Marina' — a Head of 1794 die variety — obverse and reverse of the example sold by Heritage Auctions in February 2008; the FLOAT constituent is priced on the Sheldon-22 PCGS MS63 Brown, a different Head of 1794 variety.
Heritage Auctions lot photography, via Wikimedia Commons (public domain)

1794 Liberty Cap Large Cent (Head of 1794)

Maker
U.S. Mint (Philadelphia)
Year
1794
Rank
93 of 100

1794 Liberty Cap Large Cent (Head of 1794)

1794 Liberty Cap Large Cent (Head of 1794) by U.S. Mint (Philadelphia) (1794) is ranked 93 in the FLOAT 100 for Coins. It sold for $32,400 on 9 February 2023. An iconic early-copper type — the 1794 'Head of 1794' large cent is a cornerstone of the celebrated Sheldon-numbered cent series.

What is it, and why is it in the FLOAT 100?

An iconic early-copper type — the 1794 'Head of 1794' large cent is a cornerstone of the celebrated Sheldon-numbered cent series.

1c copper, Liberty Cap, Head of 1794, Sheldon-22, PCGS MS63 Brown

What is the best-sourced number for it?

Figure
$32,400
Kind
Realized at auction
Date
9 February 2023

Heritage Auctions, Feb 9 2023. Sheldon-22, Head of 1794, PCGS MS63 BN, realized $32,400. Finer examples soar: S-31 MS67BN CAC brought $264,000 (Heritage, Jan 2022); S-28 MS66BN $105,000 (Heritage, Jan 2020).

This is a realized sale. Somebody paid it. Source.

How this is made

The figure
One reference price, taken from a named public source and shown with its own kind. FLOAT does not average it with anything or adjust it for time.
Realized or not
A realized price is a completed sale. A market asking price and a price-guide value are not sales, and are labeled as such wherever they appear.
Why no grade ladder
Most FLOAT 100 entries are individual objects. There is one of this, so there is no population and no spread across grades to show.
Archive
2026-08-08