Walter Breen's Encyclopedia of United States and Colonial Proof Coins 1722-1989

1831

Half Cent. Rev. of 1832, high leaf below r. side of final S; guide lines between words. B-73, Gilbert 1. Original. (For the other varieties, see under Restrikes and Fantasy Pieces.) About 5 or 6 proofs of these are known, compared to 8 or 10 business strikes, T. James Clarke had one; the Brobston piece was priced at $1100 and reappeared in the 1965 "Century" sale at $1550. That in SI is bronzed.

Cent. Newcomb 11. First variety of the year; rev. of 1830 Small Letters. Date 1 831; first star closer to bust than usual; high leaf barely past S. (1) Stickney: 1596 (top 6 stars flat). (2) Calif. Specialist ex Lahrman: 367 (first 4 stars flat). Rumored to be same as (1). (3) Philadelphia Estate, ex J. G. MacAllister 11 /30/44. One other reported. The French: 509

- T. J. Clarke: 245 - Sloss: 180 -LM 11/65: 102 - J.C.S. coin, claimed by Dr. French and Clarke as a proof, turned out not to be. Emission sequence: N-11, 12, 9, 6, 8, 7, 10, 14, 1, 3, 2, 4, 5 - the last three made between 1833 and 1835.

_ N-9. Straight tailed R in LIBERTY; large letters, M E apart. Calif. Specialist, ex Miller: 893, Ryder, NN 41 :877, as "A-12," obv. proof, rev. unc.

- N-6. Perfect l's, coronet point almost opposite 6th star; same rev. as last. Calif. Specialist, ex "Dupont": 695, possibly Parmelee: 1010, also "one-sided" (obv, proof, rev. unc.).

_ N-10. Similar obv., first star closer to bust (like N-11), large letters, die defect almost closes C of AMERICA. All are "one-sided": (1) Calif. Specialist, ex McCoy: 713, Zanoni, Cleneay: 1876, Bement:363, Judge Sawicki:660 (S 2/54), T.J. Wass, NY /NJ3/59:717, E. Taylor. (2) Philadelphia Estate, ex Newcomb II: 631, possibly ex Mougey:169. (3) BB 9/45: 744 ex J. P. Young, possibly same as (1). One other reported.

_ N-3. Curl begins about over left edge of second 1; 1 's perfect; trace of inner circle; small letters, widely spaced, high leaf left of center of final S. (1) Calif. Specialist, ex Dr. French: 503, T. J. Clarke. (2) H. C. Hines, H. K, Downing, 52ANA:2I76, E. M. Seneca Jr., small obv. field nick. (3) "Dupont": 691. (4) C. David Pierce, T. J. Clarke: 238, Lahrman: 365, not seen. (5) T. J. Clarke: 237. (6) Sloss, Ronald Stolberg, possibly same as one of last two. (7) N. Y. Specialist. (8) H. Bareford. (9) H. P. Smith: 1144, Beckwith: 78, H. Chapman, TAD: 106, Jerry A. Bobbe. First 10 stars flat, field nick opposite brow. (10) Phila. Estate ex Pearl: 319, bright red. (11) D. S. Wilson: 939, first 7 stars fiat, possibly same as one of foregoing. (12) Elder 12/24:2273. Others reported. This rev. was reused in 1834-35. May exist bronzed.

Half Dime. V-5. 1's lean a little r.; curl begins about centrally above 3. Rev. Faint die scratch, point of top leaf through wingtip towards N. (1) Eliasberg. (2) Wiirzbach, Brand, NN, early 1960's.

_ V-4. Same obv. Rev. F defective; 0 in OF repunched. Earlier state of die later used with leftover 1829-30 obvs. to make the unintentional restrikes 1829 V-I, 1830 V-2 (probably 1833-35). (1) Eliasberg. (2) NN, late 1950's. (3) Paramount FPL, Winter 1976, in set. (4) Moskowitz, QS 2/77: 1273, R. J. Riethe, gem, same as (2)?

- V-3. Curl begins about over inner curve of 3; 2nd star repunched; 1 8 a little wider spaced than other digits. Rev. of V-4, later state;berries fragmentary, disconnected, but not as late state as the 1829 or 1830 combinations. (1) Bullowa, May 1952. (2) Eliasberg. (3) Virgil Brand, James Kelly, Aug. 1939, Phila. Estate.

- V-1. Obv. as last, sometimes with fivefold clash marks. Rev. FinalS often partly filled; final s of motto wholly below E. (1) Newcomb, exhibited at ANS, 1914, possibly one of following. (2) C. Ramsey Bartlett: 464. (3) Ex W. L. Carson. (4) Nate Smith: 364, believed ex Merkin 2/72:90. At least six others exist for which attributions have not been available. Cf. also Dr. Green: 1072; "Dupont": 1362; Futter: 154; Pelletreau: 495; Brand-Lichtenfels II: 2838.

Dime. Breen 4-E. C and period high. (1) Parmelee: 1008, Steigerwalt, Woodin: 567, Newcomer, Boyd, WGC:486, Neil:1229.(2) Cleneay:1506, believed reappearing as Newcomb I: 554. (3) Winsor: 687, Mills: 1116, dull. (4) Allenburger: 874, Phila. Estate. (5) Holmes:2710, nicked. (6) LM 4/66:118, H. W., 1971 ANA:650. (7) Paramount FPL Winter '76, in set.Cf. also 1946 ANA:249, Menjou:183, and the coin lately consigned to Pine Tree Auctions. Known as a great rarity since the Levick sale of Oct. 1864, which coin had come from McCoy:570 or 571.

Quarter. Small date and letters. Browning 1.

Curve-based 2, two berries on branch. ANS. One or two others reported, not traced.

- B-2. Curl begins above r. edge of final 1; weak faint tongue to eagle; flat based 2, 25 C. much nearer to borderthan to eagle. (1) Boyd, WGC:101, Adolph Friedman, 1946 ANA :432. (2) "Dupont": 1806. (3) Morgenthau 3/18/40: 360, Phila. Estate. At least three others seen.

- B-4. Curl begins about over left edge of final 1:25 C. high near eagle; flat based 2; faint weak tongue. Philip Straus coll., ca. 1951.

"Large date" (tall 1's punched over short l's); large letters, long arrowheads. (On the large letters coins, C of 25 C is as tall as the 25; on small letters coins, c is much less tall than 25.) (1) Eliasberg. (2) Mougey:694, Allenburger, T. James Clarke, NN 47:1577. (3) Boyd, WGC:I05, Kern:1416, John McNail, 1977 ANA. (4) Davis-Graves: 338. (5) Paramount FPL, winter '76, in set. (6) Parmelee: 1006, to Steigerwalt, possibly same as one of first three. (7) Cleneay: 1341, same comment. Others seen in private collections. Possibly R-6, not R-7.

Mint Director sent 20 "specimens" to President Jackson, who could hardly have appreciated them, and 20 more to Treasury Secretary S. D. Ingham. These may not all have been proofs. Occasion: new modified design by Kneass, using beaded borders and close collar.