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

Note: The N-20 claimed in Sawicki: 718 proved to be a business strike.

Half Dime. Medium date only. (The true large date, V-I, with dime logotype and date overruning base as it is too large for the exergual space - a real blunder - is rare and unknown in proof; and no true small date as in 1849 is known to exist.) Three barely distinguishable obverses; Valentine's descriptions are no help, though his plates clearly show the differences.

- V-2. Top of date barely touches base; defects at all stars; shield point a little r. of left upright of 1; skirt pendant minutely r. of r. upright of 4; left base of 1 r. of center of denticle and very close; left base of 4 minutely r. of left edge of denticle. Bullowa, May 1952.

- V-3. Very similar. Defects only at 5th, 7th, 8th and 10th stars and not always even on those. Shield point left of center of upright of 1, skirt pendant minutely farther r. of r. upright of 4, above the crossbar. Left base of 1 higher above center of denticle, nearly its own thickness away; left base of 4 left of center of denticle. Eliasberg, perfect die (repolished, lapped, the defects at stars now absent). One other seen.

- V-4. Very similar. Date slants minutely upward, 184 barely touching base if at all, final 8 minutely overlapping; date less heavily punched into die. Shield point a trifle left of left upright of 1, skirt pendant left of a point where it would have been centered above r. upright of 4, left base of 1 high above space between denticles as is left base of 4; defects only between 5th and 6th, 10th and 11th stars. Rev.: Usually "upset" - 1800 away from normal alignment. (1) Smithsonian, from Mint proof set, impaired. (2) Eliasberg. (3) Valentine plate coin. (4) A-Mark.

Which of these varieties are represented by the following coins, I have not yet been able to determine: (1) ANS, ex J.P. Morgan, ex R. C. W. Brock proof set. (2) Wolfson: 456 at $400, ex T. K. Harvin. (3) Parmelee: 1193, probably the same coin reappearing as H. P. Smith: 1032. (4) Newcomb I: 504. (5) Newcomb II: 811. (6) Cleneay: 1702, obv. proof, rev. unc. (7) Winner F. Delp: 35, probably same as one of foregoing.

Dime. *B-2. High date, slanting down to r., 1 recut above and touching base, final 8 about equidistant between base and nearest point of border; left base of 1 above space. Rev.: Die of 1844, 1846, 1847 proofs, probably used on other intervening dates.(1) ANS, ex Morgan, Brock proof set. (2) Philadelphia Estate, ex J. C. Morgenthau 1/43:442. (3) A-Mark, ex 1971 ANA: 667, ex Lester Merkin auction, April 1966: 144 $500, H. W. Rim spot at 7th star. (4) Smithsonian, from Mint proof set. (5) 1946 ANA: 270, ex WGC: 534, Adolph Friedman, possibly reappearing as Winner Delp: 45. Compare also Newcomb II: 816, Parmelee: 1192, H. P. Smith: 957, etc. I have seen several others, mostly badly cleaned.

Quarter. Normal date slanting down to r., to recutting; shield point between 18, left base of lover left edge. Rev. of 1847 proofs, vertical stria left of beak. (1) Mint, SI. (2) Brock, Morgan, ANS set. (3) Wayte Raymond, NN 33:484, various intermediaries, NN 41 :734, Kagin, then deeply toned and tarnished, possibly later cleaned. (4) Hillyer Ryder, Wayte Raymond, NN 47:1154, Eugene Gardner, Gardner: 1642; four minute nicks in r. obv. field. (5) Reed Hawn: 165, $1200, possibly one of last two. (6) A-Mark, same comment. (7) N. Y. private coll.

- Double punched date. Newcomb II:833.

Which variety is represented by Parmelee: 1191 is unknown; possibly it is one of those listed above.

Half Dollar. Open 4 (crosslet short, distant from base) as on earlier nonproofs. Answers description of Beistle I-A; high date, shield point over space between 18, left base of 1 almost over r. edge. Two rev. dies; the coins listed below are not differentiated. (a) Die scratch up through azure from r. edge of 6th red stripe; feather ends below shield at r. short and pointed, not touching arrow shaft - lapped die. This rev. may appear on other half dollar proofs of the period, as it has a familiar look. (b) Normal feathers, scattered horizontal marks in white stripes, 7th white stripe filled. (1) SI from Mint. (2) Col. Green, Boyd, WGC:294, the coin Beistle knew. (3) 1949 ANA:1505, McPherson: 933, Cass, "Empire":1383, Krouner, LM 2/71 :752, slightly impaired. (4) A-Mark, deep steel-blue, possibly same as one of above. Cf. Parmelee: 1190, H. P. Smith:689 and/or Newcomb 11:859, probably source(s) of 2 or 3 of above. At least one other badly cleaned proof is known.

Half dollars exist with closed 4 logotype (crosslet long and nearly touches base of 4) but no proofs are certainly identified of this type.

Silver Dollar. Larger date than formerly. *B-1. Die chips (;-shaped) on breast; shield point above center of top of 1; left base of lover r. edge. Rev. of 1842. (1) Mint, SI. (2) Eliasberg. (3) Boyd, WGC: 139, "J.H. South":819, Golding:240 (4) Cass, "Empire":1732 (same Kem:819?). (5) T. James Clarke, NN 48:359, Kagin. (6) Col Green, Roe: 444, Geiss :343, Amon Carter Sf. & Jr. (7) Bluestone 9/17/40: 624, Phila. Estate. (8) Baldenhofer, A. J. Ostheimer, LM 9/68:344, E.I.U., rim flan defect below 4. One other imparied piece seen in the 1950's. Parmelee: 1189 is probably the sauce of one already named