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You are looking at an 1831 Matron Head Large Cent – can you guess the grade? But first….
Last time, we shared with you a toned 1803 Draped Bust Silver Dollar.
Many “CoinWeek graders” took a shot at grading the coin at our YouTube Offices. Four came to the same grading decision as PCGS. They were: MD, Taco John, Erik Bermuda, and Classic Coins. Great Job!
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The 1831 Matron Head cent is one of the more common middle-date issues. According to United States Mint records, 3,359,260 of these one cent coins were struck – making the 1831 cent a type coin. Of course, the term “type coin” can be misleading, as once a coin reaches a certain state of preservation it can indeed be quite scarce!
Speaking of scarcity, this example exhibits more than a hint of original Red color, which is predominately located near the protected areas on the obverse and reverse and is most pronounced on the reverse in the space separating the lettering from the wreath.
But here’s something you may not know. To date, there are no known examples of the 1831 large cent in Mint State Red!
It is our opinion that this coin has an above-average strike, but it lacks full radial detail on the stars. The planchet quality is strong, as one would expect for the date.
So what’s the grade?
CoinWeek editor Charles Morgan narrates.
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Charles Morgan and Hubert Walker’s 100 Greatest Modern World Coins has gotten five-star reviews on Amazon and Lou Golino and David T. Alexander both gave the book their highest recommendations.
