Walter Breen's Encyclopedia of Early United States Cents

Obverse 17. Always cracked through 17 and along the cap to rim, and always showing clash marks.

Reverse U. End of the right ribbon is broken off, a spine and wedge-shaped point remaining. Lowest right leaf is represented only by a point very close to C(A). Inner leaf of the pair below ST is fragmentary. Seven berries left and six right, that left of C(E) is the largest, the outer one opposite the curve of D stemless and isolated. Fraction bar islong, pointed at its left end, and closer to the numerator.

Die states: 1. Obverse as state IV of the preceding. Reverse with no clash marks and no cracks.

II. Reverse clash marks below TES but no cracks.

III. Obverse crack develops a branch extending through middle of the cap. Reverse has a long straight crack from the rim between S O to the right top of N(E), later through the diagonal of N to right base of left foot.

IV. The two obverse cracks meet in the hair. Reverse crack extends faintly to E(N).

V. Obverse crack from rim to y to brow; this later becomes heavy. Reverse crack forks at EN with one branch down to the left through E, the other through the left foot of N, eventually extending to the right bow.

Equivalents: Maris 21, "Short Bust." Frossard 13.1. Doughty 42. Hays 33. McGirk SA (cracked reverse), SA2 (perfect reverse). Ross 21-W. Chapman 36. Sheldon 44. EAC 31. Encyclopedia 1668.

High Rarity 1.

Remarks: The broken right ribbon end represents damage to the wreath punch; on later dies in this group, it is usually (but not always) repaired by hand, producing differences individually described. This or further damage doubtless led to its discard.

Sometimes seen with a double profile. At least one has been reported with a plain edge. See "Oops!" chapter.

These were probably delivered May 9 through June 4. Many high-grade specimens of this variety have been recolored, possibly by the same hand as the preceding. Again, no explanation has been offered.

Condition Census:

MS-60 Virgil M. Brand • Carl Wurtzbach, 1938 • Dr. William H. Sheldon, 4/19/1972 • R. E. Naftzger, Jr., 2/ 23/1992 • Eric Streiner • Anthony Terranova. State II. Reverse illustrated in Early American Cents and in Penny Whimsy. Obverse and reverse illustrated in Noyes.

AU-50 Nearly Mint State but an obverse nick and reverse scratch. Clarence S. Bement • Henry Chapman 5/1916: 293 $23 • Arthur L. Gray • J. C. Morgenthau & Co. #394, 2/1939: 560 $24 • Louis E. Eliasberg, Sr .• Bowers and Merena 5/1996: 496 $20,900 • Thomas D. Reynolds. State V.

AU-50 M. A. Brown • S. H. & H. Chapman 4/1897: 754 $7.75 • George H. Earle, Jr. • Henry Chapman 6/1912: 3380 $14 • Alvin J. Fink • Howard R. Newcomb • J. C. Morgenthau & Co. #458, 2/1945: 49 $30 • Charles Green (R. Green) FPL, May 1946 $80 • unknown • 1954 ANA (Federal Coin Exchange): 3966 $105 • unknown • Abner Kreisberg, 12/1961 • R. E. Naftzger, Jr. • New Netherlands Coin Co. 11/1973: 365 $2,300 • John W. Adams • Bowers and Ruddy Galleries FPL, 1982: 37 $4,250 • Bowers and Ruddy Galleries RCR #46, December 1982 $4,250 • unknown • Bowers and Merena 6/1989: 10 $8,030 • Dr. Robert J. Bye • Stack's 5/1997: 379 $4,400 • Stack's. State III. Obverse and reverse illustrated in Chapman.

AU-50 With some small obverse planchet defects. Ed. Frossard Collection • Ed. Frossard #37, 10/1884: 875 • T. Harrison Garrett • Robert Garrett, 1919 • John Work Garrett. Johns Hopkins University • Bowers and Ruddy Galleries 11/1979: 65 $4,400 • Tom Morley, 9/ 1980 • John W. Adams • Bowers and Ruddy Galleries FPL, 1982: 38 $3,750 • Anthony Terranova • Herman Halpern • Stack's 3/1988: 60 $6,050 • George E. Ewing, Jr. • Tom Morley • Superior Auction Galleries 1/1994: 781 $7,150 • Jeff Isaac. State III. Obverse and reverse illus-trated in Chapman.