Walter Breen's Encyclopedia of Early United States Cents

Obverse 2. Closest date with 1 touching the hair and 6 almost touching the bust. L touches the cap and B leans right. Pole rests on the bust. Small lump on top lock.

Reverse B. Double leaf at UN with a triplet at CA. Triplets at IT and ED. Five berries left and four right. ONE skewed to the left with 0 vertically above C(E) and (N)T completely out from under (N)E. Traces of repunching at the left top of M. Fraction bar is slightly bent up at its right end. First 0shows traces of repunching at its base and the final 0 is too high. Die scratch between NI. Right bow is incomplete. Left leaf of pair at c(E) is fragmentary. This die was reused for 1798 number 26.

Die states: I. Faint linear bulge from the rim to cap and hair, sometimes almost invisible.

II. Cracked from the rim to y and bridge of the nose. Later, this crack extends before the eye faintly into the cheek, becoming stronger. Bulge of state I is advanced. Reverse lapped, perhaps to remove clash marks. Both ribbons are incomplete, as are the outer leaves at IT. The leaf below the left arm of (S)T is a fragment. Two hollow leaves at CA. Repunching at zero is gone.

Equivalents: Proskey 1. Doughty 71. Gilbert A. McGirk 1A. Ross I-A. Clapp-Newcomb A. Sheldon 81. EAC 2. Encyclopedia 1683.

Low Rarity 3.

Remarks: Normal diameters vary: 18/16" (28.5-29 millimeters) One seen on a broad planchet, 11/5" (30.5 millimeters). The reverse is often weak. Probably about 21,000 to 22,000 struck.

Doughty, McGirk, Gilbert, Ross, Clapp, Newcomb, and Sheldon all believed that this was the first 1796 variety struck. It begins a sequence of 10 die-linked varieties. For why this sequence must have followed the isolated variety, see Remarks at number 1.

Condition Census:

MS-60 Dr. George P. French, 3/21/1929 • B. Max Mehl FPL, 1929: 96 $250 • T. James Clarke • Dr. William H. Sheldon • Dorothy Paschal, 11/1975 • Denis W. Loring • Ed Hipps (Ed's Coin & Stamp Shop) • 1980 ANA (Steve Ivy Numismatic Auctions): 944 $8,600. Alan J. Prescott, 2/1996 • Denis W. Loring, 2/1977 • Allan Kollar.

AU-55 Obtained prior to 1893 by Edward Miller. William Hesslein 4/1916: 322 $33.15 • Henry C. Hines • Dr. William H. Sheldon • T. James Clarke, 12/1954 • R. E. Naftzger, Jr. • New Netherlands Coin Co. 11/1973: 400 $2,400 • Andrew M. Hain • Dennis E. Steinmetz (Steinmetz Coins & Currency) • 1980 ANA (Steve Ivy Numismatic Auctions): 943 $5,750 • Anthony Terranova • John Whitney. Obverse illustrated in Early American Cents. Reverse illustrated in Penny Whimsy, and also illustrated in Early American Cents and in Penny Whimsy as reverse AA for 1798.

AU-55 S. H. & H. Chapman 3/1883: 297 $20 • Lorin G. Parmelee • New York Coin & Stamp Co. 6/1890: 729 $56 • S. H. & H. Chapman • M. A. Brown • S. H. & H. Chapman 4/1897: 765 $77.50 • George H. Earle, Jr. • Henry Chapman 6/1912: 3396 $86 • Oarence S. Bement • Henry Chapman 5/1916: 300 $210 • Col. James W. Ellsworth, 3/1923 • Wayte Raymond' • Henry C. Hines • Dr. William H. Sheldon, 4/19/1972 • R. E. Naftzger, Jr., 2/23/1992 - Eric Streiner, 1/1993 • Anthony Terranova • Kevil). Lipton Rare Coins, 8/1997 Thomas D. Reynolds. Obverse and reverse illustrated in the 1879 Frossard monograph and in Noyes.

AU-50 R.L •. Miles, Jr. • Stack's 4/1969: 87 $525 • unknown • Stack's 10/1982: 768 $2,300 • Anthony Terranova • Dr. Robert J. Shalowitz, 2/1983 • Dr. C. R. Chambers, 3/1/1989 • Dennis Mendelson, 7/15/1991 • Robinson S. Brown, Jr. • Superior Stamp & Coin Co; 1/1996: 116 $4,840. • Anthony Terranova • Walter Husak and Jack Schultz, 10/1996 • Walter Husak.

AU-50 H.E. J ones (Edinburgh, Scotland) c Scott & Co. 10/1878: 220 $17 • W. W. Thurston .• S. K. Harzfeld #13, 8/1880: 109 $16.50 • Richard B. Winsor. S. H. & H. Chapman 12/1895: 84'7 $32.50 • Hiram E. Deats • unknown • A. Kosoff 4/1956: 32 $310 • Dorothy Nelson • Stack's 2/1976: 23 $725 • unknown • Stack's 5/1990: 102 $4,950.

EF-45 Sheraton Coin Co., 1947 • Adm, Worthington S. Bitler, 8/1960 • A. Kosoff • Dr. Hiram T. Ward, 6/1978 • Denis W. Loring, 4/1985 • Dr. Robert J. Shalowitz, 6/1987 • Dr. Philip W.Ralls, 5/2/1997 • W. M. "Jack" Wadlington.

EF-45 New Netherlands Coin Co., privately • Homer K. Downing • 1952 ANA (New Netherlands Coin Co. #38): 1717 $155. Dr. William H. Sheldon. Dorothy Paschal.

EF-40 Charles H. Deetz, 9/1926 • George H. Clapp. ANS. State L Reverse illustrated in Clapp-Neuxomb and in Early American Cents. Reverse also illustrated in Clapp as AA for 1798.

EF-40 Lee G. Lahrman • A. Kosoff 2/1963: 180 $375 • Ted Kress • Dr. Dane B. Nielsen • Myles Z. Gerson • George E. Ewing, Jr. • Del Bland • Dr. Philip W. Ralls, 6/1987 • Dr. Robert J. Shalowitz • Jeffrey Oliphant.

EF-40 Lester Merkin, 4/1979.

EF-40 Frank D. Taylor - Henry Chapman 6/1908: 52 $25 • unknown • Gene Sanders (Coinko).

EF-40 With some blunt striking. Anthony Terranova • Stack's, 6/15/1984 • Jim McGuigan • Del Bland • Dr. Robert J. Shalowitz • Bertram Cohen, 8/27/1989 • Dr. Philip W. Ralls, 4/4/1992 • Daniel W. Holmes, Jr.