Walter Breen's Encyclopedia of Early United States Cents

Die states: I. No clash marks or breaks. Tiny faint flawcrosses the berry left of C(E). Very rare. Perhaps seven oreight are known of this die state.

II. Double reverse clash marks with caps at IT and ED, poles at A(M), and hair in the wreath. Cracked from therim through first s to adjacent leaf and berry. Weak at OF AMERICA and lower right border, from misaligned dies: see Remarks.

III. Obverse rim break above LI. Reverse as state II. N. Reverse has five fold heavy clash marks. At least one die was loose enough in its stake to rotate: four caps at ITED S, a fifth at STA, parts of two shoulder loops at the finals, etc. Crack through S etc. now extends heavily through the wreath. Later, this crack ends in a heavy bulge at ON. On at least some specimens of this state, the die misalignment has been corrected: OF AMERICA is no longer weak.

III. Obverse rim break above LI. Reverse as state II. N. Reverse has fivefold heavy clash marks. At least one die was loose enough in its stake to rotate: four caps at ITED S, a fifth at STA, parts of two shoulder loops at the finals, etc. Crack through S etc. now extends heavily through the wreath. Later, this crack ends in a heavy bulge at ON. On at least some specimens of this state, the die misalignment has been corrected: OF AMERICA is no longer weak.

Equivalents: Maris 18, "Venus Marina." Frossard 25.1. Doughty 39. Hays 26. McGirk 3E1, 3E2. Ross 17-R. Chapman 11. Sheldon 32. EAC 17. Encyclopedia 1668.

Low Rarity 3.

Remarks: Dies offset misaligned: the obverse border is broadest at lower left and narrow or absent at upper right, while the reverse is normally centered. The effect led Sheldon to claim, erroneously, that this variety is "always struck a little off center to the right." The common weakness at the lower right reverse border suggests that the obverse die became a little looser in its stake, not only offset but vertically (axially) misaligned. The latter condition put most stress on the upper left reverse, which broke. A rarer parallel occurs in half cents, 1808/7 number 1.

Probably the majority of 15,000 delivered March 28. Dan Trollan reported an example with doubled edge lettering, one set reading with obverse up, the other with reverse up. (Letter to Mark Borckardt, April 28, 1997)

In Darwin B. Palmer, Jr's poll of EAC members, this variety was rated as "most beautiful." (Penny-Wise, no. 83, 3/15/1981, p. 68.)

Condition Census:

MS-62 With light planchet roughness in the right obverse field. Henry C. Miller • Thomas L. Elder 4/1917: 678 $112.50 • Henry Chapman • Dr. Christian A. Allenburger • B. Max Mehl #111, 3/1948: 339 $87.50 • R.E. Naftzger, Jr., 2/23/1992. Eric Streiner • Jay Parrino (The Mint) • Anthony Terranova • Dr. Thomas Turissini. Obverse and reverse illustrated in Noyes.

MS-60 From Boston. Thomas L. Elder #13, 10/1907: 137 • Virgil M. Brand • B. G. Johnson (St. Louis Stamp & Coin Co.), 3/24/1943 • A. Kosoff • unknown • New Netherlands Coin Co.• New Netherlands Coin Co. #41, 9/1953: 238 $155 • Floyd T. Starr • Stack's 6/1984:.25 $9,900 • Dr. Allen Bennett.

AU-55 With some planchet roughness in the right obverse field. From England in 1974 to James D. King, 11/1976 • Gordon J. Wrubel, 7/1977 • R. E.Naftzger, Jr., 12/11/1986 • Herman Halpern • Stack's 3/1988: 46 $8,800 • Anthony Terranova • R. E. Naftzger, Jr., 2/23/1992 • Eric Streiner • Chris Victor-McCawley (CVM) • Thomas D. Reynolds. State II. Obverse and reverse illustrated in Noyes.

AU-50 Sharpness of Mint State but some light corrosion on reverse. William H, Cottier • S. H. & H. Chapman 6/ 1885: 673 $13.50 • C. T. Whitman • S. H. & H. Chapman 8/1893: 828 $6.25 • George H. Earle, Jr. • Henry Chapman 6/1912: 3379 $36 • Howard R. Newcomb • J. C. Morgenthau & Co. #458, 2/1945: 43 $57.50 • F. C. C. Boyd, 1957 • New Netherlands Coin Co., privately 1957 • Dorothy Paschal • Dr. William H. Sheldon, 4/19/1972 • R. K Naftzger, Jr. • New Netherlands Coin Co. 11/1973: 355 $3,000 • Denis W. Loring • Dr. Robert J. Shalowitz • Darwin B. Palmer, Jr. • John W. Adams • Bowers and Ruddy Galleries FPL, 1982: 23 $8,500 • George E. Ewing, Jr. • Early American Coppers 4/1995: 154 $5,600 • Anthony Terranova • Walter Husak and Jack Schultz, 10/1996 • Walter Husak. State IV. Obverse and reverse illustrated in Chapman. Obverse illustrated in Morley.