Walter Breen's Encyclopedia of Early United States Cents

VF-25 Elmer S. Sears, 10/1922 • George H. Clapp • ANS.

VF-20 Sharpness of VF-30 but obverse scratches. George W. Merritt. Ed. Frossard 1/1879: 107 $3.90 • Ferguson Haines. W. Elliot Woodward #32, 10/1880: 234 $4.10 • W. W. Hays, 1900 • Chas. Steigerwalt, 1906 • Charles G. Zug • Lyman H. Low 3/1907: 29 $5.50 • Gen. C. L. Wellington • Lyman H. Low #170, 1/1913: 112 $16 • E. Gilbert • Thomas L. Elder #87, 12/1913: 833 $31 • Dr. George P. French, privately • Henry C. Hines • Dr. William H. Sheldon • Charles M. Williams • Numismatic Gallery #68, 11/1950: 37 $117.50 • Judge Thomas L. Gaskill • New Netherlands Coin Co., privately 11/1956 • Dorothy Paschal • C. Douglas Smith • Del Bland • Dr. Robert A. Schuman • John W. Adams • Bowers and Ruddy Galleries FPL, 1982: 27 $2,250 • Del Bland • Donald H. Petersen • Superior Galleries 2/1992: 681 $6,325 • James Neiswinter • Chris Victor-McCawley (CVM), 8/1995 • Walter Husak. Obverse and reverse illustrated in the 1879 Frossard Monograph. Obverse illustrated in Frossard-Hays and in Morley.

F-15 William F. Ulrich (American Coin Co.), 1/3/1966 • Philip Van Cleave • Kagin's Numismatic Auctions #340, 1/1986: 5039 $1,430 • Pete Smith.

F-15 Purchased unattributed on 7/27/1981 at the ANA bourse by Denis W. Loring, 8/1981 • Robert.C, Clark, 8/1982 • Denis W. Loring, 9/1982 • Jack H. Robinson • Superior Galleries 1/1989:59 $3,300 • Robinson S. Brown, Jr. • Superior Stamp & Coin Co. 1/1996: 50 $5,775 • W. M. "Jack" Wadlington. State VI.

F-15 Robert D. Book, 5/1930 • George H. Clapp, 3/ 31/1949 • Carnegie Institute.

F-15 Sharpness of VF-35 but porous. Howard R. Newcomb • J. C. Morgenthau & Co. #458, 2/1945: 46 $55 • Milton A. Holmes. Stack's 10/1960: 1370 $230. Richard Picker. Mrs. R. Henry Norweb • Bowers and Merena 11/1988: 2709 $1,540 • Dr. Ralph W. Rucker.

F-12 Capt. Wilson Defendorf, 10/1938 • ANS.

Obverse 14. "Low Head," 4 crowded between the bust and border. Several curl points (second to fifth) have split ends. Third lock is longest and the fifth is next. Heavy shoulder loop. Hollow area in the hair right of the lowest point of cap. LI are close, IB high, and RT are unusually far apart. With reverse M, this variety is instantly identifiable by lacking either the rim break above LI or the delicate lowest lock.

Reverse M. Single berry left of the bow. The problem here is to distinguish this die from reverse N (number 23) on a low-grade specimen. If the single berry left of bow is unambiguously visible, anyone of the following criteria will provide instant identification: 1) Lowest leaf pair on right droops; on reverse N it is horizontal. 2) Lowest leaf on right nearly touches A; on reverse N it points to c. 3) Berry below center of R; on reverse N it is below the upright. See the description at number 20 for additional details regarding reverse M.

Die states: 1. Straight bulge from the rim through O(F) to near the center of the reverse die.

II. Reverse central bulge extends to E(D) and E(R).

III. Heavy break from the rim to E(D) and to the wreath; obverse crack from the rim to E, as on number 23.

Equivalents: Maris 44. Doughty 64. Hays 30. McGirk 1D. Ross 19-T. Chapman 15.

Sheldon NC-1. EAC 21. Encyclopedia 1662.

High Rarity 7. Four known.

Remarks: The low grade of all surviving specimens may mean that die state information is subject to revision on discovery of better preserved examples.

Sheldon claimed that two were given to the American Numismatic Society, (Penny Whimsy, p. 102)

The ANS collection currently contains only one. See Condition Census.

Discovered by William Wallace Hays, between 1879 and 1893.

Condition Census:

G-4 Sharpness of F-15 but corroded and burnished. John K. Borcky • Thomas L. Elder 6/1935: 393 $132.50 • Henry Chapman, via Miss Ella Wright, 7/1935 • Henry C. Hines, 1944 • Dr. William H. Sheldon. George H. Clapp • ANS • unknown • Dr. Lawrence A. Mattemes • Lester Merkin 10/1973: 243 $2,900 • R. E. Naftzger, Jr., 1/1974 • John W. Adams, 1/1974 • Denis W. Loring, 1/1974. Dorothy Paschal, 6/1977 • John W. Adams, 6/1977 • Denis W. Loring, 5/7/1983 • Jack H. Robinson. McLaughlin & Robinson 14369, 2/1988: 50 not sold. Jack H. Robinson • Daniel W. Holmes, Jr. State 1. Obverse and reverse illustrated in Chapman and in Morley.

AG-3 Sharpness of G-5 but edge dents. W. W. Hays, 1900 • Chas. Steigerwalt, 1906 • Charles G. Zug • Lyman H. Low 3/1907: 30 $4.50 • Gen. C. L. Wellington • Lyman H. Low #170, 1/1913: 113 $46 • Dr. George P. French, 3/21/ 1929 • B. Max Mehl FPL, 1929: 53 $350 • T. James Clarke, 1944 • B. Max Mehl, 1944 • Dr. William H. Sheldon, 3/25/1945 • George H. Clapp • ANS. State II. Obverse and reverse illustrated in Noyes.

AG-3 Sharpness of VG-7 but corroded. Discovered in the Virgil M. Brand collection as a new variety by Carl Wurtzbach and sold. circa 1934 to an eastern collector • B. G. Johnson (St. Louis Stampse Coin Co.) in stock as "Hays 31" in 1948 • Charles M. Williams, privately • Homer K. Downing, privately • Dr. William H. Sheldon, 4/19/1972

• R. E. Naftzger, Jr., 2/23/1992 • Eric Streiner, 3/20/1992 • Robinson S. Brown, Jr. • Superior Stamp & Coin Co. 1/1996: 51 $6,325 • John R. Frankenfield. State II.
FR-2 Sharpness of G-6 but heavy edge dents. Purchased on 8/24/1973 from J. J. Tea party at the ANA convention by Denis W. Loring, 5/1974 • Dr. Robert J. Shalowitz •John W.Adams, 12/1977. Robinson's. Brown, Jr. • Superior Galleries 9/1986: 48 $2,640 • Dr. Ralph W. Rucker. State III.

No other examples have been reported.