A 1795 one cent Reeded Edge has sold for $646,250 at Heritage Auctions - exceeding its opening bid of $26,000 by 2,385%.
The coin led the sale of the Adam Mervis Large Cent Collection, which took place on January 13.
 The one cent Reeded Edge was produced as an experiment in 1795 |
The coin's importance is due to the addition of reeded edges, which feature on just nine cents from the same period - making it exceptionally rare.
There have only been 26 sales of Reeded Edge cents since 1890, with this being the finest known example.
They were produced as an experiment after Congress ordered the weight of the cent to be reduced - although this tactic was swiftly abandoned when it turned out to be uneconomical.
A 1793 Strawberry Leaf achieved $381,875, with bidding starting at $16,000.
 The Strawberry Leaf cent is a modification of the 1793 Wreath cent |
The pattern is a modification of the Wreath cent, which was produced in the Philadelphia Mint as a replacement for the poorly received Chain cent.
It is thought the design was tried out and discarded, as only four examples of the Strawberry Leaf cent are known to exist.
Also performing well was a Head of 1794 No Fraction Bar, which achieved $381,875.
The coin is named for the missing fraction bar on the reverse, with the coin in the sale being the second finest example known.
We have a range of rare coins available to purchase.
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