Walter Breen's Encyclopedia of Early United States Cents

Reverse Type of 1797

Obverse 15.

Reverse L. Type of 1797. Five berries left and five right. Distinctively, for the Type of 1797 Small Fraction reverses, the outer berry is at the left stand of M. Like reverse S of number 33, CENT is very close to the bow. Right stem slants much more sharply down than does the left stem. Base of u is low and unusually close to N. T is above S-A and TAT touch. M E are apart with E below M and leaning left, RI is much below E. Numerator leans right, 00 almost touch, and the bar is well away from the numerals.

Die states: I. No buckling or cracks. II. Clash marks before throat. Reverse with very faint cracks: through the tops of TA into the field and through the tops of OF. Clash mark from drapery at OF.

III. Obverse buckling. Heavy reverse crack from the rim, through tops of TES OF, and to the rim. Struck after number 25, state I. Extremely rare.

IV. Heavy rim breaks cover the tops of AT and OF. Extremely rare.

Equivalents: Gilbert 20. McGirk BB. Clapp-Newcomb 20. Sheldon 100. EAC 24. Encyclopedia 1692.

Low Rarity 5. Remarks: This is the only Type of 1797 Small Fraction with a close curved date. Only five dies with this wreath design have the small fraction: 1796 reverses L, O, P, S, and 1797 reverse B. All were probably made on the same day or successive days, forming a single batch. Thereafter, new 1 and 0 punches went into use, and subsequent reverses had larger fractions through late 1803, when still larger punches followed.

The designation "Gilbert 26" is from the Dr. French catalogue. (B. Max Mehl, fixed price list, 1929, lot 133.)

Some are on concave-convex blanks.

Condition Census:

EF-45 Sharpness of AU-55 but light abrasions on both sides. Discovered on a rafter in the attic of an old farmhouse being torn down in New Hampshire and sold by Robert A. Lavoie (Bob's Coins of Manchester) on 12/30/1994 to Michael Fedder.

EF-40 Dr. George P. French, 3/21/1929 • B. Max Mehl FPL, 1929: 133 $250 • T. James Clarke, 1944 • B. Max Mehl, 1950 • Dr. William H. Sheldon, 4/19/1972 • R. E. Naftzger, Jr., 2/23/1992 • Eric Streiner • John Whitney. Obverse and reverse illustrated in Noyes.

EF-40 Richard Picker • A. Kosoff, 9/7/1962 • R. E. Naftzger, Jr. • New Netherlands Coin Co. 11/1973: 418 $700 • Robinson S. Brown, Jr. • Superior Galleries 9/1986: 134 $5,775 • Dr. Philip W. Ralls, 5/2/1997 • W. M. "Jack" Wadlington. State II.

VF-30 Charles M. Williams • Numismatic Gallery #68, 11/1950: 105 $45 • Willard C. Blaisdell, 2/1975 • Denis W. Loring, 3/5/1977 • MylesZ. Gerson, 10/1980. Denis W. Loring, 10/1980 • Fred H. Borcherdt.

VF-25 Sharpness of VF-35 but lightly porous. Henry C. Hines. Clayton L. Wallace • Stack's 12/1963: 476 $250 • Frank H. Masters, Jr. • Rare Coin Company of America 5/1971: 95 $260 • Jackson C. Storm, 8/1/1984 • Robert E. Matthews. Superior Galleries 5/1989: 240 $6,050 • Evan Kopald • Dennis Mendelson, 7/15/1991 • Robinson S. Brown, Jr. • Superior Stamp & Coin Co. 1/1996: 140 $5,500 • Wes A. Rasmussen. State I.

VF-25 Charles E. Clapp, Sr., 3/1921 • George H. Clapp • ANS. State I. Reverse illustrated in Clapp-Newcomb, in Early American Cents, and in Penny Whimsy.

F-12 New Netherlands Coin Co., privately 11/13/1952 • C. Douglas Smith, 1970 • Robinson S. Brown, Jr. • William R. T. Smith, 8/5/1975 • Philip Van Cleave • Kagin's Numismatic Auctions #340, 1/1986: 5107 $522.50 • Dan Demeo.

VG-10 Sharpness of VF-25 but porous. C. Douglas Smith • Dr. Charles L. Ruby, 12/1972 • Superior Stamp & Coin Co. • Superior Galleries 2/1974: 437 $200 • Superior Stamp & Coin Co. • Superior Galleries 2/1976: 358 $220 • Raymond Kelly • Kagin's Numismatic Auctions #317, 10/1979: 935 $150.

VG-10 Sharpness of VF-20 but porous. Purchased unattributed by Dr. Robert J. Shalowitz • Dr. C. R. Chambers • Robinson S. Brown, Jr. • Early Copper Auction #5,8/1992: 62 not sold • Robinson S. Brown, Jr. • Early American Coppers 4/1995: 187 $1,900 • Steven K. Ellsworth.

VG-8 Dr. Kenneth J. Sartoris, 5/1972 • Del Bland, 5/1972 • Denis W. Loring, 2/1975 • Dorothy Paschal.

VG-8 Sharpness of VF-30 but edge dents filed down. Hollinbeck Kagin Coin Co. #220,8/1958: 34 $100 • Leonard W. Stark (Central Coin Mart) • Hollinbeck Kagin Coin Co. • Hollinbeck Kagin Coin Co. #299, 1/1973: 254 $660 • Hollinbeck Kagin Coin Co. • Kagin's Numismatic Auctions #322, 9/1980: 116 $682.50 • Kagin's • Kagin's Numismatic Auctions #328, 10/1982: 151 $687 • Kagin's • Art Kagin, privately 10/1985 • Robert E. Matthews • Joseph Tomasko, Jr.

VG-8 John Story Jenks • Henry Chapman 12/1921: 6122 $5 • George H. Clapp, 3/31/1949 • Carnegie Institute.

VG-8 An eastern collection • Superior Galleries 2/1976: 1403 $80 • Del Bland • Robert E. Vail, 11/21/1988 • Del Bland • Dennis Mendelson • Joseph Tomasko, Jr. • Don Valenziano, Jr. • James Young, Jr.