1818 Matron Head Large Cent For Grading

au55bn. many high grade examples exist since the discovery of the Randall hoard.

The Randall hoard consisted of about 14,000 uncirculated cents in a sealed treasury keg found in Georgia. It is estimated that the most common date in the group was about 3,000 cents dated 1818. The coins started out as uncirculated when the keg was found and sold shortly after the Civil War in the 1860s to a merchant in Norwich, NY. This merchant passed the coins out to his clients and eventually sold a large number to John Randall, a local coin collector for whom the hoard is named after.

Since the Norwich merchant passed them out as novelties, many likely circulated briefly, but the coins were unpopular as many people thought the coins were recent restrikes due to the age and unusual remaining red color. They often traded then at a discount to face value due to people's skepticism about about the coins' authenticity.

Thanks n/s for that background. Certainly this is no less than AU-58.

Other than the slightest bit of darkening seen most obviously on the obverse high points, it's tough to put this into a circulated grade. The even color alone would testify to un-circulated, if it weren't for that darkening in a couple places.

The reverse has a typical light center strike, so that doesn't help prove circulation, either.

Safely a 58. This is one of those I'd send NGC. They are bears on Matron's, so if they go MS, you are assured it is.

AU-55.

Nice. I had it at AU58