1792 Cent Pattern - J-4, Birch Cent, Lettered Edge

Coin Details

Auction Record

$1,175,000 AU58 03-26-2015 Stack's Bowers

Description

The 1792 Birch Cent with lettered edge, cataloged as Judd-4, is one of the most storied and debated pattern coins from the founding era of American coinage. The obverse features a right-facing Liberty bust with the date 1792 and the legend LIBERTY PARENT OF SCIENCE & INDUSTRY. The reverse displays a wreath enclosing ONE CENT and the fraction 1/100, with UNITED STATES OF AMERICA around the border. The edge bears the lettered inscription TO BE ESTEEMED * BE USEFUL * with two five-pointed stars separating the phrases. The identity of the engraver — Robert Birch, after whom the series takes its name — remains a subject of ongoing scholarly debate. The Birch cents are closely linked to the broader congressional dispute over whether to place George Washington's portrait on the nation's coinage. The unique Judd-6 variety, which bears the reverse inscription "G.W.PT." (an abbreviation of "George Washington President"), demonstrates that at least one version was produced with a presidential reference before Congress resolved to use an allegorical Liberty figure instead. The House debated the issue heatedly in March 1792, with some members arguing that depicting a living president smacked of monarchy. Weighing approximately 220 grains on average, the lettered-edge Birch cents (Judd-4) appear to conform to the 208-grain standard established by the Act of January 14, 1793 — indicating they was struck in late December 1792 or early January 1793 as Congress was finalizing the reduced weight. This contrasts with the heavier plain-edge Birch cents (Judd-5), which approach the original 264-grain standard of the April 1792 Mint Act. Approximately seven examples of the lettered-edge variety are known, all in copper, making this one of the most coveted early American patterns.