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

- *N-14. Curl point midway 8 4, which digits do not quite touch; curved line up from r. base of Y. Rev. Same as 1844 B-8. (1) Smithsonian, from Mint proof set. (2) Pearl: 383. (3) "Dupont": 859, now in a N.Y. State private collection. (4) The piece Newcomb knew, apparently Philadelphia Estate, ex Mehl, 11/15/1938. (5) Mougey: 238, Beckwith: 103, Morgan: 344, B. Max Mehl, T. J. Clarke, Calif. Specialist. Red; stained over TATES OF. (6) N. J. Specialist, ex Williams: 493. (7) Mathewson coll., to R. P., May 1955. (8) N. Y. Specialist cased set. Others reported.

Half Dime. *V-1A. Date high, slants up, the 5 almost or quite touching base, 845 almost or quite touching each other; line through U into wreath. (1) Bullowa, May 1952.(2) Eliasberg, perfect rev. die. (3) T. K. Harvin - Wolfson:453. (4) Lester Merkin auction, April 1966: 78 at $350, later H. W., 1971 ANA: 623, Reed Hawn: 604 at $450. (5) Casedset mentioned below. "Menjou": 113 may have been this variety.

- *Not in V., most similar to V-6 but without so many die defects near stars. Low date slanting up, 1 almost touches border. SI, from Mint's proof set.

Dime. *B-6. Plainly recut 45. (1) Landau: 448. (2) SI,from Mint proof set. (3) Philadelphia Estate ex Morgenthau 1/43. (4) Menjou: 198. (5) Cased set below. I have seen two others, one of them obviously cleaned, but cannot now trace them. Wayte Raymond had seen two.

Quarter. Plainly recut date, 845 first placed to left oftheir final position, then corrected; outlines on left of those digits. (1) Newcomb collection. (2) Earle: 3088 to Ryder,Wayte Raymond, NN 49:1152. This may be the W. L. Carson piece. (3) SI, ex Mint. (4) Menjou: 715. (5) The cased set described below. Wayte Raymond knew of one other.

Half Dollar. Normal date, low. (1) SI ex Mint. (2) Cased set below. (3) Boyd, WGC:273, E. M. Seneca, S3/65:447. Two others seen, so badly cleaned as to render their original proof status dubious.

Silver Dollar. *B-1. In date 84 heavily recut, this date slanting slightly down. Rev. of 1842 earlier described. (1) Col. Green, Roe:441, Geiss:339. Possibly the Amon Cartercoin. (2) Newcomer, Boyd, WGC:133, Adolph Friedman,1949 ANA:223, Golding:236. (3) Cased set below. (4)Kern: 815. (5) Cass, "Empire": 1727, possibly same as last.(6) Baldenhofer, Ostheimer, LM 9/68: 140, E.I.U., spot near 6th star. (7) An impaired piece handled by FCI about 1975.Wayte Raymound knew at least three and believed others were around; it is uncertain if the three he traced are all above.

- B-2. Normal date, different reverse, no more exact data available. Cf. SI ex Mint, and Davis-Graves: 1343.

Silver-minor proof sets. Stickney: 1789, all proof, exmint in year of issue. I would very much like to examine this set, if it is still intact, as it would establish conclusively whether or not the cent and dollar varieties are originals. Rumors persist that some of the large berry half cents 1840-48, some cents with the 1844 B-8 reverse, and some silver dollars, were among coins struck for various dignitaries ca.1848 (e.g. Alexandre Vattemare?), or restruck ca. 1858-60.

Quarter Eagle. Only the one variety of proofs; normal date, low, to right. (1) SI, ex Mint. (2) Cased set below. (3) "Memorable":105, source unknown. A fourth is rumored.

Half Eagle. Heavy date, placed low, to left. (1) Sl, ex Mint. (2) Cased set below. (3) Parmelee, at private sale (supposedly), W. H. Woodin, exhibited by Woodin at ANS 1914, Newcomer, Col. E. H. R. Green, Burdette G. Johnson, J. F. Bell, "Memorable" : 347.

Eagle. *B-2: date low, far left, slants up; left tips of serifs of 1 in line with extreme left edge of truncation. (1) SI ex Mint. (2) Cased set below. (3) Col. Green, "Memorable": 548.

Complete proof sets. (1) S1, from Mint Cabinet collection; same comment as to former years. (2) N. Y. State Specialist coll., in original case, similar to the 1843-44 sets. The late Floyd Starr told me about it many years ago, saying that B. Max Mehl had handled it, but could not recall when, nor where it had come from.

1846

*Half Cent. Only one variety. Date small, delicate-looking, apparently engraved rather than punched; large berry rev. of 1840-48. Three in museums (SI, ANS, Johns Hopkins); at least 13 in private hands, two being worn (I handled one of these, which later went to John Cobb). Brobston's was offered at $825 some 13 years ago, later LM 3/69:370. That in the Balboa bank set has a heavy mark over (C)E, from foreign matter adhering to die, like a couple of others of this date. No restrikes with this large berry reverse. Auction records (see Value Guide) have little relevance to relative rarity from one date to the next in the forties.