Walter Breen's Encyclopedia of Early United States Cents

Obverse 1. Wide date with 1 and 6 about equally far from the device, 96 successively higher above the border, and 1 repunched at the right. L almost touches the cap, BER lean to the right, and T is slightly above Rand y at their bases, almost touching the forelock. This die is similar to obverse 5 of number 9, but lacks the "club pole" feature which instantly identifies the latter.

Reverse A. Double leaves at UN and CA. Triple leaves only at IT, ED, and O(NE). Double leaf below AM arises from a berry stem. Five berries on each branch. The ribbon bow is crude with the fraction skewed to the right, the fraction bar extending left of the denominator, almost touching both 1s. 00 are lower and touch each other. N leans left with its right top and base above I. RI touch. Flaw up to right at the final s.

Die states: I. Perfect dies. Interior of the cap is incomplete, from excessive die polishing.

II. Nearly horizontal defect (scaling or chipping) left of the second lock.

III. Similar parallel defects right of 6 toward the rim, later becoming heavy. Others develop through much of the lower field. Bulges left of the second lock, from the throat to rim, and from the nose to rim. Reverse cracked from the rim above c to top of the adjacent I. Triple clash marks on both sides.

IV. Reverse bulges develop at ST and RI, at first faint. V. At least eight sets of light clash marks on both sides. VI. Heavy additional clash marks on both sides. Buckling is advanced at STA.

VII. Lines and clusters of minute chips in the right obverse field, one (looking like a crack) from the rim to nose just below its tip. Reverse cracked from the rim to (E)S and from the rim to R.

VIII. Advanced bulges at ED ST and at RI. Later, a bulge develops at A(M).

Equivalents: Proskey 7. Doughty 80. Gilbert F. McGirk 2D. Ross 4-c. Clapp-Newcomb F. Sheldon 91. EAC 1. Encyclopedia 1682.

Rarity 3.

Remarks: Previous students mentioned AME touching on individual dies of this type as though this were distinctive. As these letters either touch or join on all dies of this type, the feature will only be mentioned when R also touches E. Approximately 350 survive, corresponding to 15,000 minted, i.e. to the delivery of April 18.

This variety is isolated, sharing no die with any other 1796 Liberty Cap, though its reverse reappears in 1797. It logically belongs at either the end or the beginning of the 11 Liberty Caps, just before or just after the connected sequence of 10 die-linked varieties. Doughty and Sheldon placed it at the end of the sequence; Denis W. Loring has given stylistic reasons for placing it at the beginning. Among others, its reverse is unlike all others, but nearer in style to variety 2 than to variety 10 or 11.

Condition Census:

MS-61 From England in 1956 to Stack's, privately 1/ 1957 - Dorothy Paschal- Dr. William H. Sheldon, 4/19/1972 • R. E. Naftzger, Jr., 2/23/1992 • Eric Streiner • Jay Parrino (The Mint), 4/16/1996 • W. M. "Jack" Wadlington. Obverse and reverse illustrated in Penny Whimsy and in Noyes.

MS-60 Double struck. Discovered overseas by Robert Hecht • Thos. P. Warfield • Associated Coin Auction Co. 10/1955: 210 $205 • Allen E. McDowell.

AU-55 M. A. Brown • S. H. & H. Chapman 4/1897: 768 $30 • S. H. & H. Chapman • A. C. Gies • Thomas L. Elder 10/1935: 836c $117.50 • George H. Clapp • ANS. State III. Obverse and reverse illustrated in Clapp-Newcomb.

AU-55 Edward P. Steers • Duer du Pont Breck • Lyman H. Low #201, 5/1920: 100 • Elmer S. Sears • Howard R. Newcomb • J. C. Morgenthau & Co. #458, 2/1945: 89 $82.50 • James Kelly • Standish Hall • Hollinbeck Coin Co. FPL, #25, 1947: 11 $100 • unknown • Andrew P. Lustig, 9/1993.

AU-50 Col. E. H. R. Green • B. G. Johnson (St. Louis Stamp & Coin Co.), 8/27/1942 • James G. Macallister. J. c. Morgenthau & Co. #454, 1/1944: 420 $155 • George H. Clapp • ANS • Dr. William H. Sheldon. Dorothy Paschal •Robinson S. Brown, Jr. • Superior Galleries 9/1986: 119 $5,775 • Dr. Allen Bennett, 4/4/1992 • Eric Streiner. Obverse and reverse illustrated in Early American Cents.

AU-50 William Beaver Chamberlin • Harmer Rooke Numismatists, Ltd. 8/1987: 6 $5,000 • Dr. Robert J. Shalowitz • Charles E. Harrison, 9/1994 • Anthony Terranova, 9/1994 • John Whitney.

EF-45 All Nations, 11/16/1949 • Willard C. Blaisdell. EF-40 Allison W. Jackman • Henry Chapman 6/1918: 705 $25 • Dr. George P. French • B. Max Mehl FPL, 1929: 101 $225 • T. James Clarke • Dr. William H. Sheldon. ANS.

EF-40 Charles R. Mathewson, 1955 • Copley Coin Co. • Dorothy Paschal • Robinson S. Brown, Jr., 6/1977. Denis W. Loring, 6/1978 • Myles Z. Gerson. George E. Ewing, Jr. • Del Bland • Dr. Philip W. Ralls.

EF-40 Sharpness of AU-50 but surfaces are not perfectly smooth. Gordon Harris • Jim McGuigan, 7/1984 • Dr. Robert J. Shalowitz • Dr. C. R. Chambers. Don Valenziano, Jr. • Joseph Tomasko, Jr.

EF-40 Associated Coin Auction Co. 4/1956: 552 $150.