Walter Breen's Encyclopedia of Early United States Cents

Obverse 3. Wide date, spaced 1 7 96. All digits lean right with 1 unusually close to the curl point, 7 unusually close to the hair, and 6 high, close to the bust. The fragment of the pole between the cap and hair is much heavier than the lower length along the bust.

Reverse C.

Die states: 1. Faint dash-like defect (scaling) before the mouth. Minute break joins bust point to pole tip.

II. Crack from rim above B down through ERT and right top of y into the field, later reaching the rim opposite the eye. This is at first very light, later heavy. The break joining bust point and pole tip becomes heavy. The scaling before the mouth is longer and heavier, and looks like a crack. Bulges develop near end of the bust.

III. The crack of state II has become a huge rim break on ERTY. Extremely rare.

Equivalents: Proskey 9. Doughty 73. Gilbert E. McGirk 2C. Ross 3-B. Clapp-Newcomb E. Sheldon 83. EAC 4. Encyclopedia 1682.

High Rarity 4.

Remarks: The date spacing (1 796) occurred in 1794 numbers 24 and 65, and recurs as late as 1797 obverse 2. It suggests miscalculation of the type memorialized in the "P LAN AHEAd" signs. In 1794 number 65 and 1797 obverse 2 it may reflect Scot's common practice of omitting the final digit from an obverse until the year it was hardened to go to press; the 1794 obverse might have been held for 1795 use, the 1797 obverse was probably made in 1796.

Probably about 4,000 to 5,000 struck.

A double struck example appeared in the 1957 ANA sale, lot 811. See "Oops!" chapter.

Condition Census:

AU-55 Virgil M. Brand • Carl Wurtzbach • Charles R. Mathewson, 1944 • Dr. William H. Sheldon, 4/19/1972 • R. E. Naftzger, Jr., 2/23/1992 • Eric Streiner • John Whitney. Obverse illustrated in Early American Cents and in Penny Whimsy. Obverse and reverse illustrated in Noyes.

AU-55 Richard B. Winsor • S. H. & H. Chapman 12/1895: 845 $46 • S. H. & H. Chapman • Col. James W. Ellsworth, 3/1923 • Wayte Raymond, 3/1923 • George H. Clapp • ANS. State II. Obverse illustrated in Clapp-Netocomb.

AU-55 Charles J. Dupont • Stack's 9/1954: 112 $450 • Dorothy Paschal • Myles Z. Gerson • Charles E. Harrison, 5/1996 • Dr. Philip W. Ralls, 5/2/1997 • W. M. "Jack" Wadlington.

AU-50 With some blunt striking. Ed. Frossard FPL, "Numisma" 6/1890: 114 $25 • Ed. Frossard • Ed. Frossard #102,9/1890: 455 $14.50 • W. H. Spedding • S. H. & H. Chapman 12/1894: 793 $21 • George H. Earle, Jr. • Henry Chapman 6/1912: 3397 $22 • S. H. Chapman • S. H. Chapman 6/1913: 478 $24 • Dr. George P. French, 3/21/1929 • B. Max Mehl FPL, 1929: 100 $275 • T. James Clarke • Carl Wurtzbach • Lotus Sullivan • French's #31,4/1947: 377 $105 • R. E. Naftzger, Jr. • New Netherlands Coin Co. 11/1973: 402 $2,300 • Rare Coin Company of America. Dennis Forgue, 8/1982 • Thomas E. Werner. Dr. Robert J. Shalowitz • Dr. C. R. Chambers, 10/26/1989 • Dennis Mendelson, 7/15/1991 • Robinson S. Brown, Jr. • Superior Stamp & Coin Co. 1/1996: 118 $12,100.

VF-35 Obverse and reverse double struck. Purchased unattributed circa 1973 at a New York coin show by Dr. Robert J. Shalowitz • Myles Z. Gerson • Charles E. Harrison • Anthony Terranova, 2/1989 • John Whitney.

VF-35 T. James Clarke • B. Max Mehl #114, 6/1951: 79 $55.50.

VF-25 With blunt striking on the lower central reverse. Superior Stamp & Coin 9/1997: 923 $1,815 • Steven K. Ellsworth.

VF-20 Robert D. Book, 5/1930 • George H. Clapp • ANS.

VF-20 Sharpness ofVF-35 but some obverse encrustation and some small edge nicks. S. Benton Emery, circa 1914 • Walter P; Nichols • Bowers and Merenall/1984: 22 $825 • Denis W. Loring • Dr. Bruce Reinoehl.

VF-20 Ellen Enzler • Numismatic and Antiquarian Service Corporation of America 12/1978: 2603 not sold • Ellen Enzler.

F-15 Purchased unattributed from Bob Pugliese (Colonial Stamp & Coin) by Darwin B. Palmer, Jr. • an unidentified eastern collector.

F-15 Henry C. Hines • T. James Clarke. Homer K. Downing, privately • Dr. Charles L. Ruby, 12/1972 • Superior Stamp & Coin Co. • Superior Galleries 2/1975: 79 $105 • Robert E. Vail, 11/21/1988 • Del Bland • Robinson S. Brown, Jr.

F-15 Sharpness of VF-30 but porous. Malcolm O. E. Chell-Frost, 10/21/1960 • Norman T. Waitt.

F-15 Paramount International Coin Corp. 11/1966: 99 $160.

F-15 Henry C. Miller • Thomas L. Elder 4/1917: 721 $4 • G. Kraft • Henry C. Hines • Dr. William H. Sheldon • New Netherlands Coin Co. #50, 12/1957: 1003 $77.50 • Allen E. McDowell.

F-15 Dr. Augustine Shurtleff, 2/27/1901 • Museum of Fine Arts (Boston) • 1976 ANA (Stack's): 328 large lot $450 .