1795 Jefferson Head, Plain Edge

The Plain Edge version of the 1795 Jefferson Head large cent shares John Harper's distinctive portrait but was struck without edge lettering. PCGS records a mintage of just 10 coins, with approximately 45 survivors across all grades. No example has been certified above VF30. The finest collectible specimen sold for $184,000 at Heritage in March 2012.

The Plain Edge Jefferson Head (Sheldon-80) is the more available of the two edge types, though "available" means perhaps forty-five coins in existence versus five for the Lettered Edge. Both versions share the same obverse die that Harper cut outside the Mint. Attribution is straightforward: the portrait looks noticeably different from every other 1795 large cent die, with a rounder head, simpler hair, and less refined execution.

Harper's coins occupy a unique position in early American numismatics. They are not Mint products in the traditional sense, yet they were struck from purpose-made dies on a purpose-built press as a demonstration of an alternative coinage method. The Jefferson Head, in both edge types, is as much a document of entrepreneurial ambition as it is a coin.

The edge treatment provides the only distinction between the two Jefferson Head varieties, and confirming it requires handling the coin. For certified examples, the grading service's attribution on the holder specifies the edge type. For raw coins, tilting the piece under light to examine the rim area reveals either the lettered inscription or a smooth, unlettered surface.