1793 Liberty Cap Cent
Base
About This Coin
The 1793 Liberty Cap Cent is a United States cent from the Liberty Cap Cents 1793-1796 series — the first year of the series. In 1793, coins were struck at the Philadelphia Mint with a combined mintage of 11,056. This represents the lowest annual mintage in the entire series, below the series median of 324,172. The obverse features Liberty facing right with a Phrygian cap on a pole behind her head, symbolizing freedom and the reverse displays a wreath enclosing ONE CENT and 1/100 of a dollar. Designed by Joseph Wright, who died of yellow fever that same year. Only about 11,056 struck, making the 1793 Liberty Cap Cent one of the rarest regular-issue U.S. coins. Struck in copper, weighing 13.48 grams, 28.5 mm in diameter, with a lettered: one hundred for a dollar edge. Across its variants, estimated values range from $15K to $1062K depending on mint mark, grade, and strike type. A notable auction result reached $319K in MS64 grade at Bowers & Merena. Designed by Attributed to Joseph Wright.
Value Estimates
Values as of May 2026 — range across all strike types, reflecting typical grades (G-4 through MS-63). Coins in lower or exceptional grades may fall outside this range.