Walter Breen's Encyclopedia of Early United States Cents

Obverse 13. Wide date with all numerals leaning right, their bases almost in the proper arc, which places the tops of 7 and 6 above the tops of 1 and 9. Distinctively for obverses with this date layout, the peak of 1 is over a millimeter from the curl. B leans right and ERT are more closely spaced than other letters.

Reverse J. Four berries on each branch. Three triplets on the left branch, two on the right branch, all outside. The triplet at MER overlaps the wreath stem. The lower triplet nearly touches left foot of the final A. Right leaf of the pair just right of (N)T is oriented edgewise. Two leaves are close to F. Paired berries at M, similar to reverse R of number 32, but lacking the latter's paired berries at E(D). Top of E is above T-D and TAT are joined. Numerator above the right side of the first 0 with 00 close. Dentils are irregular and widely spaced along the right border.

Die states: I. Perfect dies.

II. Narrow rim break before the face from 2:45-3:00, later extending to about 2:00.

III. Cracked through the tops of TY.

IV. Cracked through the tops of BER, later faintly joining T.

V. Rim break covers tops of TY and extends well to the right. Our number 16 has a similar rim break over TY although, on that number, the break does not extend to the right.

Equivalents: Proskey 16. Doughty 86? Gilbert 4. McGirk 6B. Ross 4-c. Sheldon 97. EAC 20. Clapp-Newcomb 4. Encyclopedia 1690.

Rarity 3.

Remarks: Reverse is similar to 1795 reverse D and was probably made at the same time as the latest Liberty Cap reverses. Obverse is similar to dies 17, 19, and 23 of numbers 27, 30-35, and 41, and was probably made with those. Obverse border is often weak at the upper left, reverse at the lower left.

The A. C. Gies collection had an example with "LIBERTY connected at top, not mentioned by Gilbert,"! This may be a late state or a different variety. Untraced. An example offered by Kagin's Numismatic Auctions (1/1986: 4149) has a clip at K-11. See "Oops!" chapter.

Condition Census:

AU-55 With a very small planchet clip. B. G. Johnson (St. Louis Stamp & Coin Co.), 4/1933 • George H. Clapp • ANS. State V. Obverse illustrated in Clapp-Newcomb. Obverse and reverse ilustrated in Early American Cents and in Penny Whimsy.

EF-45 Charles E. Clapp, Sr., 8/1924 • George H. Clapp • ANS • Dr. William H. Sheldon. Obverse and reverse illustrated in Noyes.

EF-40 Harry DeVore • Russell Wyatt • Superior Galleries 9/1985: 240 $4,400 • Charles E. Harrison • Fred H. Borcherdt.

VF-35 Dr. George P. French, 3/21/1929 • B. Max Mehl FPL, 1929: 115 $60 • T. James Clarke, 1944 • B. Max Mehl • Charles M. Williams • Numismatic Gallery #68, 11/1950: 103 $46 • Judge Thomas L. Gaskill • New Netherlands Coin Co., privately 11/1956 • Dorothy Paschal, 1972 • Robinson S. Brown, Jr. • Superior Galleries 9/1986:129 $2,530 • Dr. C. R. Chambers • Dennis Mendelson, 7/15/1991 • Robinson S. Brown, Jr. • Superior Stamp & Coin Co. 1/1996: 135 $3,080 • Walter Husak. State III.

VF-30 Sharpness of AU-55 but porous. Charles J. Dupont • Stack's 9/1954: 127 $210 • Harold Bareford, 9/13/1985 • Herman Halpern • Stack's 3/1988: 119 $990 • Joel Spingarn • George E. Ewing, Jr .• Early American Coppers 4/1995: 183 $1,600 • John Whitney.

VF-30 Dr. George P. French, 3/21/1929 • B. Max Mehl FPL, 1929: 114 $75 • T. James Clarke, 1944 • B. Max Mehl, 1948 • Dr. William H. Sheldon • ANS. Obverse illustrated in Early American Cents and in Penny Whimsy.

VF-30 Sharpness of AU-50 but burnished. Robert F. Batchelder • Abner Kreisberg, via Jerry Cohen, 5/1/1969 • R. E. Naftzger, Jr.

VF-25 Harry C. Pedersen, Jr, • New Netherlands Coin Co. #47,4/1956: 869 $28 • C. Douglas Smith, 1970 • Robinson S. Brown, Jr. • unknown • Bowers and Merena Galleries FPL #68, Spring 1988 $3,995 • Bowers and Merena·6/1988: 836 $1,155.

VF-20 Sharpness of EF-40 but porous with a few edge dents. Dr. William H. Sheldon • Dorothy Paschal • Allen E. McDowell • Jake Hendin, 7/30/1978 • Richard V. Punchard.

VF-20 Purchased unattributed on 3/16/1979 at an Atlanta coin show by John R. "Bob" Grellman, Jr., 6/1983 • Dr. Philip W. Ralls, 5/2/1997 • W. M. "Jack" Wadlington.

VF-20 Henry C. Hines • Howard R. Newcomb • J. C. Morgenthau & Co. #458, 2/1945: 97 $20 • Willard C. Blaisdell.

VF-20 Harmer Rooke Numismatists, Ltd. 11/1969: 814 $145.