1796 Draped Bust Cent
Base
About This Coin
The 1796 Draped Bust Cent is a United States cent from the Draped Bust Cents 1796-1807 series — the first year of the series. In 1796, coins were struck at the Philadelphia Mint with a combined mintage of 1.5 million. This ranks 5th of 12 years by total mintage, below the series median of 3.9 million. The obverse features Liberty facing right with draped bust and ribbon-bound hair, designed after a Gilbert Stuart portrait and the reverse displays a wreath enclosing ONE CENT and fraction 1/100. First year of the Draped Bust design on the large cent. Both reverse types (LIHERTY and LIBERTY) exist, reflecting different die states and engraving errors. Struck in copper, weighing 10.89 grams, 28 mm in diameter, with a plain edge. Collectors have identified 2 known die varieties for this date, including cud. Produced 3 years before the celebrated 1799 key date. Estimated market value across variants is approximately $43K. A notable auction result reached $81K in AU58 grade at Heritage Auctions. Designed by Robert Scot.
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.
Specifications
Strike Types & Varieties(5)
1796 Draped Bust Cent - LIHERTY Error
1796 Draped Bust Cent - Reverse of 1794
1796 Draped Bust Cent - Reverse of 1795
