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

Half Dollar. Plain 2 (top ends in sharp point to r., unlike Fancy 2, below). Overton 113, 7th star to upper half of ribbon; 25 farther apart than on the other Plain 2 die with this star position (below); 5 of date not recut. (1) Parmelee:959, Woodin, Newcomer, Col. Green, B.G. Johnson, Eric P. Newman. (2) Davis-Graves:510. (3) KS 2/60: 1423, hairlined. (4) Col. Green, Lichtenfels I: 2763.

- Similar but 25 closer, upright of 5 repunched; tiny lump on lower r. side of first stripe. Ov. 117. "Dupont": 2079, Edgar A. West:674.

- Fancy 2. (Top ends in duller point curled sharply upwards.) Ov. 116. Upright of 5 repunched at left; horizontal die file marks in field left of date; field chip before throat. Rev. Patch of die file marks on lower r. side of first stripe, this rev. reused as 1826 Ov. 104. (1) Krouner,LM 2/71:703. (2) N.Y. state specialist, unverified, possibly this variety. (3) Allenburger, Mc Pherson: 857, Cass, "Empire" : 1319, unverified, possibly same as one of first two.

Quarter Eagle. Breen 2-A, Adams 2, Clapp 2, Newcomer 690. Only the one die; second rev., that of 1826-7, large 2 of value close to leaf. (1) Mint, SI. (2) Elmer Sears, April 1926, John H. Clapp, Eliasberg. (3) Gaylord: 102, unverified, ex Bell I?

Half Eagle. 1825/24. *B. I-A. Eliasberg, ex Clapp, ex Earle: 2394, ex Col. Mendes 1. Cohen: 145. 4 plain within 5.

- 1825/21. B. 2-A. (1) SI, from Mint collection. (2) Ex Parmelee:957, Steigerwalt, Woodin, Newcomer, Green; exhibited by Woodin at ANS 1914 Exposition, pictured in the G.H. Hall Catalogue (1945) over lot 1895, later Flanagan: 1100, Bell I, Eliasberg, "H.R. Lee" : 1243, Farouk, Dr. Wilkison. This may be the piece now in Mocatta Metals collection.

Proof sets may have been made early or late, the early containing the B-65 half-cent, N-6 or 9 cent, 2-A dime, either quarter and possibly the 1825/24 half eagle, the later containing the converse varieties. If so, it is unlikely that there were more than one or two sets made. Not even a whisper of a rumor of a second 1825/24 half eagle proof has come to my ears. Later proof sets are slightly more likely, and it is curious that there are more of the smaller denominations than of the half dollars. Occasion: the visit to the USA of Marquis de Lafayette, July 1824 - Sept. 1825.

1826

Half Cent. One rumored to exist, unlocated; supposed to be of the regular seen Gilbert 1 variety with crisscross die file marks r. of date. Cf. M.A. Brown: 1008 (SH & HC 4/97); Woodin: 800; (Elder, 1911), one of these later owned by L. Werner.

Cent. Benjamin H. Collins, Washington, D. C. dealer of the 1880's and 90's after his retirement from the Treasury Dept., claimed to have owned one, but it has not been seen. T. James Clarke owned a N-9, state I, which he called a proof, but the last time I saw the piece it was anything but. No others reported.

Half Dollar. Only one variety claimed to exist: Overton 102=Beistle 2B=Haseltine 1, immediately identified by having plain 2 low, 6 in date too high. (1) Cass - "Empire": 1320, ex Allenburger, McPherson:863, possibly originally Cleneay:1162. (2) Ira Reed, T. James Clarke, NN 47: 1258, had been struck twice but the design was still not properly brought up: weakness on part of drapery and STA. (3) Col. Green, 1946 ANA:786, Lichtenfels 1:2783. (4) Newcomb II:846, obv. proof, rev. unc. (5) Dr. Ruby, "Gilhousen" :930, $2500, Ruby III :696, possibly same as (1) or (3). Others may exist. One of these -possibly no. 1 - is ex McCoy:446, J.N.T. Levick.

Quarter Eagle. Only one variety. (1) Neil: 2405, not seen. Possibly either of the coins later handled by the Kagins: 218:121 (5/31/58), later 227:233 (8/1/59), "light rub," different from (2) : Kagin: 228: 877 (9/12/59), "gem." (3) Newlin, 12/15/1885, Mint, SI: is this a proof?

Half Eagle. Usual variety, 13th star almost touching curl. (1) Adam Eckfeldt, Mint coli., SI. (2) Randall :931, Parmelee:965, Steigerwalt, Woodin, Newcomer, Col. Green, Farouk, not since traced. Pictured over G.H. Hall: 1896.

There would have been ample reason to make proof sets for 1826, this being the jubilee of American Independence, but no evidence exists for any. One likely reason for the subdued character of any celebration: Adams and Jefferson died simultaneously on Jubilee Day.

1827

Cent. N-7, first variety of the year. Upper half of 8 recut, B E apart, E's of ONE CENT recut under top arms. Left obv. border bold, r. narrow. (1) Cleneay:1867, more border visible at r. obv., possibly Philadelphia Estate. (2) "Dupont": 658, W.L. Carson, LM 2/72:66. (3) Warfield:501, Kagin. (4) James Kelly 3/46, unverified, possibly same as (1) or (2). Emission sequence: N-7, 11, 10, 6; 1, 2, 9, 4, 5, 8, 3, 12.

- N-l. Curl begins over center of 2, B T recut; high leaf ends near 0, small field defect below space between NT. (1) Mougey:153, Beckwith: 72, A.J. Fink, T. James Clarke, Calif. Specialist. (2) "Dupont":651, NN, Phila. Estate. (3) T. James Clarke: 213, not seen (out to a mail bidder when I was looking over the Clarke coins). That in Bluestone's fixed price list (early 1930's), no. 87, could be any of the above.

- N-2. Same obv., r. stands of both A's in AMERICA too long. Ellsworth-Clapp-ANS. Obv. proof, rev. unc ..

- N-4. Curl entirely over 7, 82 almost touch at tops, denticles slant, rev. same as last. (1) SI, from Mint Coll. (2) "Dupont":653, to "D.N.", TAD:99, light nicks on either side. (3) Newcomb II: 583, to Philadelphia Estate, rev. pin scratch. (4) Walter F. Webb offered one to Homer Downing in July 1941. (5) Zabriskie: 813, possibly the same as last. (6) H. Bareford. Others seen at various times, fifteen in all, probably representing a dozen different coins.

- N-11 (?). Mougey: 154, Miller: 873. Not since traced. Dime. B. I-A, C-1. Close date, recut 7. One seem many years ago.

- B. 3-C, C-2. Close date, "ugly 8" (die defect lump between loops). Three seen in private hands during the 1950's, none recently.

B. 5-E, C-3. Low 7, second star double punched. (1) Eliasberg. (2) NN50: 383, ex Elder, Feb. 1912, Hillyer Ryder, Wayte Raymond.

- B. 6-F, C-4. 13th star double punched. Obv. proof, rev. unc.: (1) Jon Hanson, ex Lester Merkin, ex Taylor-Windle sale (H. Chapman, June 1908): 1319, ex C.S. Lincoln, former Mint coiner. (2) D.M. Bullowa, ca. 1952.