1787 Fugio Cent - States United, 1 Over Horiz. 1

Coin Details

Description

Classified within the Newman catalog system under the "States United" reverse legend group, this 1787 Fugio cent combines two distinctive features: the reversed-order legend reading STATES UNITED instead of the standard UNITED STATES, and the "1 Over Horizontal 1" fraction variety where the horizontal bar in the 1/13 fraction on the obverse was formed by placing a numeral 1 punch sideways. The fraction 1/13 signifies that the cent is one-thirteenth of a dollar, reflecting the original monetary relationship between cent and dollar denominations. The horizontal 1 creating the fraction bar is a die-making artifact that reveals how the engraver constructed the fractional notation using available letter and numeral punches rather than cutting a custom fraction bar. Authorized by the Continental Congress on April 21, 1787, Fugio cents were contracted to James Jarvis and struck at the New Haven, Connecticut mint using copper supplied (in theory) by the government. The obverse displays Benjamin Franklin's sundial design with FUGIO (Latin, "I fly" — referring to the passage of time) and the motto MIND YOUR BUSINESS, while the reverse shows thirteen chain links encircling WE ARE ONE. The "States United" legend group, with its reversed word order, is moderately scarcer than the standard "United States" arrangement, and the "1 Over Horizontal 1" fraction adds a popular die variety element that makes this piece particularly appealing to specialists who collect Fugio cents by die combination.

Rarity Notes

Moderately scarce. The "1 Over Horizontal 1" is a popular die variety.

Cross References

Newman; States United, 1 Over Horizontal 1 variety