Walter Breen
Condition Census:
VF-25 E. Gilbert • Dr. George P. French, 3/21/1929 • B.Max Mehl FPL, 1929: 71 "$200 to $250" • T. James Clarke, 1944 • B. Max Mehl, 1944 • Dr. William H. Sheldon, 4/19/1972 • R. E. Naftzger, Jr., 2/23/1992 • Eric Streiner, 4/4/1992 • Dr. Allen Bennett. Obverse and reverse illustrated in Chapman and in Noyes. Obverse illustrated in Early American Cents and in Penny Whimsy. This was Dr. French's prize coin, and he always carried it with him to ANA conventions.
VF-20 Harlan P. Smith, privately • E. Gilbert • Thomas L. Elder #44, 10/1910: 44 $51 • H. O. Granberg • William H. Woodin • The United States Coin Co. 5/1915: 129 $32.50 • Howard R. Newcomb, 8/1944 • George H. Clapp • ANS. State I. Obverse and reverse illustrated in Elder-Gilbert and in Chapman. Obverse illustrated in Morley.
F-15 Sharpness of VF-20 but reverse edge defect. From an old Texas collection • L. R. Davis McKinney, Jr. • House of Davis McKinney #19, 1/1963: 141. Robert S. Carter, Jr. • Del Bland • Robinson S. Brown, Jr. 5/1976 • Denis W. Loring, 5/7/1983 • Jack H. Robinson • Superior Galleries 1/1989: 119 $7,975 • Daniel W. Holmes, Jr. State II.
F-12 Virgil M. Brand. Barney Bluestone, 1/1938 • George H. Clapp - ANS.
VG-10 Arch Cook, 11/29/1963 • C. Douglas Smith, 1965 • Alfred Bonard • French's, privately 5/1967- R. E. Naftzger, Jr., 2/23/1992 • Eric Streiner, 1/1994 • Chris Victor-McCawley (CVM) • W. M. "Jack" Wadlington.
VG-10 Sharpness of F-15 but an obverse scratch and reverse edge dents. J. Coolidge Hills • Lyman H. Low #211, 12/1923: 337 $48 • Charles E.Clapp, Sr., 12/1924 • George H. Clapp • ANS.
VG-8 Ed. Frossard Collection • Ed. Frossard #37, 10/ 1884: 888 • T. Harrison Garrett • Robert Garrett, 1919 • John Work Garrett • Johns Hopkins University, privately 3/1973 • John W. Adams, 3/1973 • Denis W. Loring, 5/ 1974 John W.Adams • Bowers and Ruddy Galleries FPL, 1982: 67 $1,500 • Del Bland, 3/25/1984 • George E. Ewing, Jr., 9/22/1989 • Frank H. Stillinger.
VG-8 1957 ANA (Federal Coin Exchange): 796 $200 • R. E. Naftzger, Jr. • New Netherlands Coin Co. 11/1973: 387 $650 • an unidentified eastern collector. Obverse illustrated in Morley.
VG-8 Sharpness of VF-20 but porous. Purchased unattributed on 1/3/1981 by James Young, Jr.
VG-8 Homer K. Downing, privately. James Kelly, privately • Christian M. Petersen • Hollinbeck Coin Co. • Hollinbeck Coin Co. #184, 8/1954: 21 • Dorothy Paschal
• Robinson S. Brown, Jr. • Superior Galleries 9/1986: 88 $1,265 • Pete Smith.
VG-8 W. W. Hays, 1900 • Chas. Steigerwalt, 1906 • Charles G. Zug • Lyman H. Low 3/1907: 44 $11 • W. B. Guy • Henry Chapman 11/1911: 422 $52.50 • Dr. George P. French, privately • Henry C. Hines • Homer K. Downing • 1952 ANA (New Netherlands Coin Co. #38): 1687 $69 • Dr. William H. Sheldon • C. Douglas Smith, 1965 • Alfred Bonard • Henry J. Berube (New England Com CO.), 12/15/1965 Philip Van Cleave s Kagin's Numismatic Auctions #340, 1/1986: 5070 $1,870 • David Henderson. Obverse illustrated in Frossard-Hays and in Morley.
VG-7 William O. Pukall • Thomas L. Elder, privately 12/2/1935 • Dr. Charles L. Ruby, 12/1972 • Superior Stamp & Coin Co. • Superior Galleries 2/1974: 397 $410 • Tom Morley • Cape Kennedy Medals 12/1975: 65 $385 • William R. T. Smith • John D. Wright.
VG-7 Norman Stack Collection • Herman Halpern • Stack's 3/1988: 94 $1,265 • Robinson S. Brown, Jr. • Superior Stamp & Coin Co. 1/1996: 94 $1,980 • Steven K. Ellsworth.
VG-7 Purchased in 8/1973 at the ANA convention by Denis W. Loring, 8/1973 • Dr. Edward R. Bush. Early American Coppers 1/1979: 99 $625 • Darwin B. Palmer, Jr. • John M. Ward, Jr. • Tom Morley, 7/7/1980 • Fred Clymer • Tom Morley • Superior Galleries 5/1992: 234 $1,045.
Head December 16-24
(80,000)
In November 1794, the Mint hired John Smith Gardner as acting assistant engraver. In his own day he was best known as the inventor of the "Stenographic Telegraphic," apparently an ancestor of the court reporter's stenotype machine. In ours, he is best known for the head punch for 1795-97 half cents, the cent heads used on the remaining 1794 cents and all the 1795s, and the "small head" half dollars of 1795, together with the wreaths for all the above. He made letter and numeral punches after Jacob Bay's death; entered letters and borders; raised hubs or device punches from Scot's original dies; and sank dies from these hubs. In short, he took over all the hard work among Scot's official duties. We may be sure that Scot did not make him feel welcome. Gardner never got a commission as an officer of the Mint (his title was "Acting Assistant Engraver"), and he was paid by the day as though he were a laborer, originally at $2.25 per day. On August 11, 1795, he wrote to Mint Director Henry William DeSaussure, asking for a raise to $3 per day. This was evidently granted, as the last payment recorded to Gardner, March 31, 1796, specifies "78 days' work as assistant engraver at $3.00." No record survives of why he left the Mint, but Scot's professional jealousy was doubt-less a factor. The above account summarizes Archives documents.' Gardner returned for a few weeks in the summer of 1796. He waspaid $150 for 50 days work on August 26, 1796.
The five Gardner obverses are from a single device punch, "Gardner's first head," instantly identifiable by the lower lock: its end points up, not forward, and is almost closed, near enough to the hair to suggest a loop. The hair is divided in five major locks, each of the four upper ones pinched together, evidently copying number 35 (as Dr. Maris recognized in 1869). Sheldon calls these "braided locks."