Walter Breen's Encyclopedia of Early United States Cents

Obverse 4. Date in a straight line, slanting down to the right. The "Fallen 6" variety with 6 very distant from the bust, nearer to the border than is the 1 Die drastically ground with nasal septum and most of the lips gone ("open mouth"), pole weak near the throat, serifs to letters thin, and dentils narrow and well separated. Comma-shaped die chip in the field left of the third lock.

Die states: I. No obverse cracks. Bulge at 6 is very faint. Scaling at ER.

II. Crack from rim to top of OF, at first extremely faint, later heavier.

III. Reverse reground to remove clash marks. Leaves nearest NT and CA are fragmented. Border dentils are narrower and farther apart.

IV. Cracked through the tops of OF AMERIC. This die, in this die state, was reused in 1798 for number 10. See Remarks at that number.

Equivalents: Proskey 3. Doughty 74. Gilbert D. McGirk 2B. Ross 2-B. Clapp-Newcomb D. Sheldon 84. EAC 5. Encyclopedia 1681.

Rarity 3.

Remarks: In worn condition this is the second commonest 1796 Cap and probably the least difficult to find in high grade.

The peculiar date layout (straight, spaced 1 7 96) recurs through the end of the year and well into 1797.

Probably over 16,000 coined.

Condition Census:

MS-63 Maj. William Boerum Wetmore. S. H. & H. Chapman 6/1906: 549 $125 • Dr. Lewis H. Adler, Jr., 3/ 1917 • B. Max Mehl • Dr. Henry W. Beckwith • s. H. Chapman 4/1923: 8 $185 •Henry Chapman • Dr. George P. French, 3/21/1929 • B.Max Mehl FPL, 1929: 107 $300 • T. James Clarke, 10/1954 • R. E. Naftzger, Jr., 2/23/ 1992 • Eric Streiner.

MS-62 W. Elliot Woodward • W. Elliot Woodward, 5th Semi-Annual Sale, 10/1864: 618 $25 • Joseph Zanoni • Thomas Cleneay • S. H. & H. Chapman 12/1890: 1807 $50 • S. H. & H. Chapman • Col. James W. Ellsworth, 3/1923 Wayte Raymond, 3/1923. George H. Clapp • ANS. State II. Obverse and reverse illustrated in Clapp-Newcomb. Obverse illustrated in Early American Cents and in Penny Whimsy. Reverse also illustrated in Early American Cents and in Penny Whimsy as K for 1798.

MS-61 H. E. Jones (Edinburgh, Scotland) • Scott & Co. 10/1878: 221 $27.50 • W. H. Spedding • S. H. & H. Chapman, 12/1894: 794 $40 • S. H. & H. Chapman • John G. Mills • S. H. & H. Chapman 4/1904: 1250 $50 • S. H. & H. Chapman $180 • Allison W. Jackman • Henry Chapman 6/1918: 706 $150 • Wayte Raymond (The United States Coin Co.) • unknown • James G. Macallister,1932 • T. James Clarke, 1944 • B. Max Mehl, 1948 • Dr. William H. Sheldon, 4/19/1972 • R. E. Naftzger, Jr., 2/23/1992 • Eric Streiner, 2/23/1992 • Jay Parrino (The Mint).

MS-61 C. T. Whitman • S. H. & H. Chapman 8/1893:835 $78 • M. A. Brown • S. H. & H. Chapman 4/1897: 766 $70 • S. H. & H. Chapman • William F. Gable • S. H. Chapman 5/1914: 1267 $112 • Walter Garrabrant • Stack's, privately • Charles Wheeler • 1976 ANA (Stack's): 350 $3,200 • Myles Z. Gerson, 11/28/1979 • R. Tettenhorst, 10/1995 • Jay Parrino (The Mint). Obverse and reverse illustrated in Noyes.

MS-60 With a low area right of ONE CENT. John E. Burton • W. Elliot Woodward #42, 10/1881: 147 $50 • Richard B. Winsor • S. H. & H. Chapman 12/1895: 846 $63 • Virgil M. Brand • B. G. Johnson (St. Louis Stamp & Coin Co.), 1/17/1944 $125 • Arthur c. Fritz • Rudolph Khol • Federal Coin Exchange FPL, 1952 $250 • 1954 ANA (Federal Coin Exchange): 1018 $215 • Nethercutt Chemical Co. • 1967 ANA (Paramount International Coin Corp.): 2131 $475 • Dr. Lloyd M. Higgins • Bowers and Merena 1/1988: 61 $7,700 • Dr. Robert J. Shalowitz • Jim McGuigan • Tom Morley. Superior Galleries 5/1992: 250 $13,200 • John B. MacDonald • W. M. "Jack" Wadlington.

MS-60 With some blunt striking. Matthew Adams Stickney. Henry Chapman 6/1907: 1499 as "EF" $45 • John Story Jenks • Henry Chapman 12/1921: 6117 as "EF" $122.50 • Elmer S. Sears • John H. Clapp, 2/6/ 1942 • Louis E. Eliasberg, Sr. • Bowers and Merena 5/1996: 503 $20,900 • John Whitney. State II.