1799 Draped Bust Cent
Base
About This Coin
The 1799 Draped Bust Cent is a United States cent from the Draped Bust Cents 1796-1807 series — 4th of 12 years in the series. In 1799, coins were struck at the Philadelphia Mint with a combined mintage of 42,540. This represents the lowest annual mintage in the entire series, 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. A classic rarity with a mintage of only approximately 42,540 — the key date of the Draped Bust Cent series. The 1799/8 overdate is the primary variety. Struck in copper, weighing 10.89 grams, 28 mm in diameter, with a plain edge. Across its variants, estimated values range from $9.0K to $279K depending on mint mark, grade, and strike type. A notable auction result reached $161K in EF45 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.
