US Large Cent Draped Bust 1796 to 1807

Great coin, Peter.

Most collectors prefer well preserved, low wear coins for their collections. Some insist on fully uncirculated specimens, most are willing to put up with a little wear.

But not for these beauties!

Finding an old Draped Bust Large Cent, even in well worn condition, is a joy for most collectors of US coinage. And the prices reflect this fact.

Look at our picture marked VG and VF. Do you see the difference in the amount of detail in the pattern? Miss Liberty's hair is much more pronounced in the VF coin than the VG coin.

That small difference in wear makes a big difference in catalog value.

VG = Very Good
VF = Very Fine

Typical catalog values for old cents like your range like this:

Condition worse than VG: $30 US dollars
Condition about VG: $100 to $150
Condition about VF: $300 to $500
Condition better than VF: $1000+

There is plenty of variability in these catalog values because there are many different varieties of each coin. We can only give you a ballpark number here.

Two final things: (1) these are catalog values, and (2) these are for coins without any damage. For a discussion of these two important issues, go to our Terminology page. And, for sure:

DO NOT CLEAN YOUR COIN. CLEANING RUINS VALUE.
cqLastNotify