Walter Breen's Encyclopedia of Early United States Cents

Obverse 9.

Reverse E. Large, rounded bow, shaped like a kidney or a bean. All four trefoils are in line with CENT although the outer left one is slightly high. The fraction bar is low and rests on 100. U and ST are all lower than the adjacent letters.

Die states: I. Perfect dies. No clash marks nor cracks.

McGirk 2G2.

II. Reverse has a faint crack from the rim above I down through CA to the stem and ribbon, at first shadowy, later plain. Light rust in lower field.

III. Obverse displays faint clash marks from the wreath. Reverse has a light crack from the rim through R to a berry spray. Swelling begins around the lower right wreath.

IV. Cracks develop on the neck, cheek, and temple. First reverse crack of state II is heavier, extending through the right ribbon ends, later through fraction bar.

V. Faint crack from rim to left top of Y.

VI. Reverse crack of state II extends through the left ribbon ends to u.

VII. Gash marks in top portion of the wreath and below AT, from sprig and hair. Crack from left stem through UNIT.

VIII. Faint crack from the rim to bust point. Reverse cracks become heavier, rust advances, and the die begins to fail around the cracks.

IX. Severe die failure at CA and the right ribbon, which eventually advances to affect the bow, (N)T, and RICA.

Equivalents: Crosby-Levick 7F. Frossard 7.2. Proskey 10. Doughty 11. Crosby 9-H. McGirk2G. Sheldon 9. EAC 12. Encyclopedia 1641.

Rarity 2.

Remarks: Probably about 22,000 struck in all, April 13-18. By far, the commonest 1793 variety.

Dr. Augustine Shurtleff had one with a plain edge. Chris Victor-McCawley acquired either this or a second one at the 1989 ANA convention. Beware of electrotype copies. An example appeared in the 1975 ANA auction (lot 75) with a small clip at 7:30. An obverse brockage of this (or the next) was offered in Sotheby's sale number 4774E, January 14, 1982, lot 9. The accompanying illustration suggests a grade of VF-20 or better. See "Oops!" chapter.

An EF specimen went in a NASA in-flight medical kit aboard Gemini VII with astronauts Col. Frank Borman, USAF, and Capt. James A. Lovell, USN, December 4-18, 1965, orbiting Earth 206 times before splashdown. This cent was successively owned by William F. Ulrich and William Fox Steinberg, later appearing in Kagin's 1977 ANA Convention sale, lot 214.1 It may be exhibited, with its documentation, only under armed guard.