Walter Breen's Encyclopedia of Early United States Cents

Obverse 3. R is large, high, and leaning right. Bases of Rand T are closer together than other letters, and much closer than on either of the preceding obverses. The date is more closely spaced with tops of 1 and 9 well above tops of 7 and 3. The bust line is nearly straight, bending down slightly. Sternocleidomastoid muscle (from behind ear to collar bone) is more prominent than on other obverses.

Reverse B.

Die states: 1. Without clash marks. Faint die failures in field below UNITED.

II. Light clash marks from the chain before face with the interior of one link visible at the lips. Without heavier clashmarks below the truncation.

III. Additional double clash marks, much heavier, particularly below the truncation. Roughening below UNITED STATES OF, possibly from grinding away the clash marks.

Equivalents: Crosby-Levick 2B. Frossard 3. Proskey 3. Doughty 3. Crosby 3-C. McGirk 1E. Sheldon 3. EAC 4. Encyclopedia 1635.

Low Rarity 3.

Remarks: Worn specimens have occasionally been mistaken for the rare variety 3. Loring estimates about 15,000 were coined. The true figure may be as high as 18,000, from the March 2 through 8, 1793 deliveries.

The ghostly chain clash marks at Ms. Liberty's face and neck may have inspired the "Liberty in chains" epithet.

Crosby and Levick mentioned a Benjamin Betts specimen with plain edge: another mint error, as in variety 2. Beware of casts and electrotype copies. See "Oops!" chapter.

From an electrotype copy made years before, Crosby Sylvester S. Crosby (The United States Coinage of 1793, Cents and Half Cents, Boston: the author, 1897, p. 16.) described and illustrated a variety he called 3-B, with this obverse and an AMERI. reverse differing from the normal AMERICA only in the abbreviated legend. He could not locate the original coin for verification. McGirk listed it, apparently unseen, as his 1D. This altered coin is now in the American Numismatic Society.

Discoverer uncertain: this may have been Cogan in 1858 or Dickeson before 1859.

Condition Census:

MS-63 Pierre-Edouard LeGras (Paris) • Ed. Frossard • George M. Parsons • Ed. Frossard #38, 10/1884: 983 $100 • T. Harrison Garrett • Robert Garrett, 1919. John Work Garrett • Johns Hopkins University • Bowers and Ruddy Galleries 11/1979: 53 $115,000 • Stanley Kesselman, 3/1980 • R. E. Naftzger, Jr., 2/23/1992 • Eric Streiner • Jay Parrino (The Mint). State III. Obverse and reverse illustrated in Noyes.

Ruddy Galleries 11/1979: 53 $115,000 • Stanley Kesselman, 3/1980 • R. E. Naftzger, Jr., 2/23/1992 • Eric Streiner • Jay Parrino (The Mint). State III. Obverse and reverse illustrated in Noyes. MS-61 Joseph Zanoni • Thomas Cleneay • S. H. & H. Chapman 12/1890: 1794 $101 • J. F. Anger • Arba Borden • Allison W. Jackman • Henry Chapman 6/1918: 685 $320. Hillyer Ryder, 5/1945 • Wayte Raymond, 1947 • Dr. William H. Sheldon, 4/19/1972 • R. E. Naftzger, Jr., 3/1980 • Stanley Kesselman • Auction '80 (Paramount International Sales Corp.): 554 $120,000 • Tesoro Numismatics (William A. Asprinio, Charles O. Browne, and John P. Coppola). State III. Obverse and reverse illus-tra.ted in Early American Cents and in Penny Whimsy.

AU-55 M. A. Brown • S. H. & H. Chapman 4/1897: 741 $66 • George H. Earle, Jr. • Henry Chapman 6/1912: 3354 $91 • Dr. George P. French • Clarence S. Bement • Henry Chapman 5/1916: 285 $115 • Dr. George P. French, 3/21/1929 • B. Max Mehl FPL, 1929: 2 as "a steel proof' $1,000 • Henry A. Sternberg, 11/1932 • George H. Clapp • ANS. State 1.