1793 Chain Cent - 1793 Chain America Cent NGC VF20BN. 1793 Chain AMERICA Cent, S-2, R4+. This evenly toned, brown, problem free Chain America cent is the Wide Date obverse variety. The links of the chain are complete and solid. All of the legends of the reverse are completely legible. The obverse shows a full LIBERTY and date. The portrait is complete with Libertys ear and hair showing detail. Aside from a few small abrasions on Libertys chin and the obverse field in front of her face, the surfaces are clean and free of active corrosion. The few small blemishes that are visible are insignificant for the grade.

The S-2 die variety uses the same obverse die as S-1. The Wide Date is the widest among the Chain cents. At the bottom, the width is just over 9 millimeters. On the reverse the word AMERICA is spelled out. The fraction bar is high and far from the denominator. The numbers in the fraction are smaller than those in S-1. This reverse was also used for S-3 and S-4.

Henry Voigt designed the Chain cent. He was the first Chief Coiner for the Mint. His permanent commission was signed by President Washington on January 29, 1793, and he remained in his position until his death in 1814. Voigt was born in Pennsylvania in 1738. During the Seven Years War of 1756 to 1763, his family moved to Saxony Germany, their homeland. When the war was over, he took a position at the Royal Mint of Saxony where he learned how to use all of the machinery and how to make every part himself. He even made improvements to the minting machinery during his time there. He was an ideal candidate to work at the first United States Mint. When he returned to America, he worked as a clockmaker in Philadelphia and became an assistant to David Rittenhouse, a well known watch and clock maker. In 1771 he assisted Rittenhouse in the construction of an orrery, a mechanical device that illustrates the relative positions and motions of the planets and moons in the Solar System. The first orrery was made in 1704 and presented to the Earl of Orrery, from whom the device received its name. They are usually driven by a clock work mechanism. When the Revolutionary War broke out, Voigt helped manufacturer gears, guns, and gunlocks for the Continental Army. In 1780 he manufactured wire in Reading, Pennsylvania, and, with his brother Sebastian, once again became a clockmaker. In 1787 he developed a steam engine to power a boat, and he and his brother manufactured steam engines. Both applied for work at the new Mint. Voigt gained the position probably because of his previous association with David Rittenhouse. He became Chief Coiner and Superintendent, the second person in charge. He oversaw the construction of the buildings and the installation of the equipment. In addition to contemporary criticism of the cent, as noted above, the Chain cent is recognized as a work done by an amateur. Vermeule notes that the men who designed Americas first coins were from backgrounds, as diverse as those of the Revolutionary patriots themselves. It was not until the arrival of Barber and Morgan that the Mint was fully staffed by trained die engravers.

The AMERICA subtype is actually a correction of the first Chain cent that has AMERI. because of a spacing error. The obverse shows a profile of Liberty looking to the left. Her hair is untied, and she wears no cap, hence the designation Flowing Hair. LIBERTY is above the portrait and the date is below. Contemporary critics said that Miss Liberty appeared to be in a fright. The reverse shows a fifteen-link chain motif, intended to represent the unity of the Union, with each link representing a state at the time. The chain design was criticized as being a bad omen for liberty. Within the chain is the denomination ONE CENT on two lines with the fraction 1/100 below, which causes us to remember that the public still had to be reminded that a cent was part of the decimal system rather than pounds, shillings and pence. The legend UNITED STATES OF AMERICA is at the periphery. The rims are raised on both sides, and there are no beads or dentils. The edge is designed with a Vine-and-Bars pattern.

This Flowing Hair, Chain cent is appealing to those assembling a set of all major design types. It also needs to be considered by anyone interested collecting Large cents by date or type. It most certainly appeals to collectors of early copper in general.

As of December 2012, only 4 Sheldon-2 varieties have been identified by NGC, and only 1 of them is finer than the present piece.