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

- *Not in V. Retouched hub; shield paint r. of tip of serif, r. edge of skirt pendant over tip of 5, left base of 1 almost over r. edge of dentil. Rev. Similar, faint striae pointing a little west of south and widely spaced. (1) Eliasberg. (2) LM 9/68:190.

Dime. *B-1. Low date, peak of 1 recut, shield point well to left of peak of 1, pendant slightly r. of left edge of top of 5, left base of 1 r. of left edge of dentil. Rev. of 1856 proofs, with the line up from R, and the faint die file marks over NIT and IC. (1) ANS. (2) Norweb. (3) Newlin, Garrett: 138, $1,000, A.F.L. (4) Brand, Landau: 457. (5) LM 4/66:162, H. W., 1971 ANA:680, Reed Hawn: 720, $550. (6) NN 54:1211. (7) Miles:681, huge C-shaped obv. lint mark. (8) Scanlon: 693. Some of the above are probably duplicated in the following: (a) WGC:559; (b) Newcomb II:8I7; (c) Cass, "Empire":800; (d) NN 50:406; (e) MacMurray: 1190; (f) G. A. Powers:260; (g) Brand-Lichtenfels II :3020; (h) KS 3/65: 1025. About as rare as the trime, possibly a couple more survivors.

Quarter. Date about centered but placed to left so that 7 is notably farther from border than is 1; shield point over r. foot of I; left base of I r. of center. Rev. of 1856 proofs with the same vertical bulge from AM to arrows. (1) ANS. (2) WGC:192. (3) Garrett: 165, $1,700. (4) Brand, Landau: 165. (5) Davis-Graves:374. (6) MacMurray: 1338. (7) Steckler:55, $1,100. (8) Ron Gillio, from a broken set. (9) B. Frank: 689, cleaned to death, to Kagin, to Pelletreau: 699, to Robert Bashlow, reappearing as NN 54: 650. (10) Gardner: 1649, Speir: 66. Compare Miles: 952 -Scanlon:990, possibly ex Walton: 736, Jay:387; also Newcomb II :835. Under 15, perhaps under 12 survive.

Half dollar. *Beistle 1-A. Date slants down to r.: shield point over r. foot of 1, left base of 1 about over leftedge, the positions not necessarily diagnostic, lapped die, toe not enclosed, small unpolished patch joins chin to neck; microscopic recutting on bases of 8 7. Rev. Heavy letters, small unpolished patch joins wing and all leaves, another between two arrowheads; die defect joins wing and top arrow shaft; small thin hollow place above center of first red stripe, thin extra line at its left. (1) Col. Green (the coin Beistle described), probably one of following. (2) Newcomb II:865. (3) Wayte Raymond estate, NN 50:603. (4) Mehl 12/12/39:1418, Phila. Estate. (5) Anthon Part V (Cogan 10/20/84):239, Garrett: 226, $2,000, "C". (6), (7) Dr. Green:1688, 2811. (8) B. Max Mehl, MacMurray: 1509 (same as one of last?). (9) Walton: 911, Jay:388, Scanlon: 1462, tarnish outlines eagle. (10) Miles :1332, Delp: 608. (11) tass, "Empire": 1411. (12) Brand-Lichtenfels 1:2848. (13) R. K Cox: 1945, $1,100, S 5/68:1474, possibly same as last. The above probably include a few duplications. Cf. also Reed Hawn: 193, $1700; "Gilhousen":1019; Glassenberg, 1975 ANA: 603 (cleaned, tiny pre-striking chip below 5th star), also probably reappearances of earlier named ones. Except for the small cent, probably the most difficult denomination of the year.

Silver Dollar. Wide faced numerals. *B-1. "Hair" below chin; shield point r. of left upright of 1, left base of 1 slightly r. of left edge of dentil. Rev. of 1856, the lines above ITE and ES sometimes weaker. (1) ANS ex Brock, Morgan. (2) Morgenthau 10/5/39:176, Phila. Estate. (3). Boyd, WGC: 152. (4) Davis-Graves:1357. (5) T. James Clarke, NN 48:662, Kagin. (6) "Dupont": 2534, impaired. (7) Cass, "Empire": 1742, impaired (same?). (8) Landau: 631, slightly impaired. (9) 1958 NY Metropolitan: 1635, gem. (10) Walton: 1160, Jay:389, choice. (11) Baldenhofer, Ostheimer, LM 9/68:354, LM6/71:807, 1974 ANA:28, $2,500. (12) Amon Carter Sr. & Jr. (13) Wolfson:1413. (14) 1975 ANA: 1080. (15) Guggenheimer:990, QS 11/76: 1131. About a half dozen others seen, these and some of above probably duplications, mostly cleaned (obscuring identification), as was the Mougey-Bement example; apparently at least half the surviving proofs have suffered that or worse fates.

- B-2. Die file marks at left rocky base and foot. Rev. Irregular die file marks above UNITED and OF AME. Always with flat heads, as are the business strikings from this obv. die, but convincing surfaces. One is in Gillio's broken set; cf. "Gilhousen":1316. Others have been sold as first strikes. I now believe some of these were carelessly made proofs. This reverse was reused on 1858 proofs.

Silver-minor proof sets. These appear to be represented now only by broken sets containing the copper cent and half cent, e.g. ANS ex Brock, Morgan; Newcomb II (sold individually); Walton (ditto); others. My earlier guess that a few sets might have been made in or after May containing the new Flying Eagle cent or "nickel" is based on analogy and on the presence of varieties like the second half dime, much rarer than the first.

Gold Dollar. *Date low, slants up slightly to r.; delicate lettering. (1) SI ex Mint. (2) Woodin: 859, Newcomer, Boyd, WGC:12, "Memorable": 12. (3) Dr.Green:12, possibly ex Belden Roach, Geiss:1335. (4) "J. H. South":817. (5) Jay:220, Dines:795, Scanlon: 1745 at $4,000. (6) Melish: 1755, N. Y. state specialist, possibly same as (2)? (7) R. C. W. Brock, Univ. of Penna., P. H. Ward. (8) Morgenthau 6/16/42:113, Phila. Estate. Not impossibly a few of these are reappearances of the same coin; cf. also those in 1956 ANA, Stack 3/73, and RARCOA 4/75 sales.

Quarter Eagle. Small date as on half dime, placed low; left base of 1 about over r. edge of dentil; 7 a little farther from border than 1. Judge Thomas L. Gaskill, NN 48:288, at a then high $500, A. M. Kagin; believed ex Woodin: 999. One other rumored, unconfirmed; was it traded out of the Mint Cabinet?