Walter Breen's Encyclopedia of Early United States Cents

Obverse 7. Closest date; the first 7 leans right with its base very close to 1. Otherwise, this is similar to obverse 3 of number 3.

Reverse F. Five berries on each branch. Close denominator with 1 almost touching the ribbon. A die scratch extends the left end of fraction bar. The outer leaf below IT is broken and the leaf at C(E) is merely an outline.

Edge: Plain (III). Boulton blanks. See Remarks.

Die states: I. No cracks. Weak at ON and CEN.

II. Cracked through the tops of MERI, later extending to top of C; at first very faint, later heavy.

III. Cracks from the rim to both tops of M; another from the rim to tops of ic,

IV. Rim break on IC. The cracks at M become a "retained cud": the loose piece of the die is in a different plane but has not yet fallen out. Very rare.

V. Rim break on M. Extremely rare.

VI. Rim break on MERlC. At least two known. Equivalents: Clapp-Newcomb 4. Sheldon 122. EAC 9. Encyclopedia 1711.

High Rarity 5.

Remarks: Usually found in low grades, often with porous flans. Possibly from the Boulton planchets discolored and damaged by salt spray and bilgewater enroute to

Philadelphia. This remained Rarity 7 unti1 10 low-grade examples were cherrypicked in the New York area in a single month (1953).

Discoverer uncertain. Dr. Sheldon had one as early as 1938. We do not know when Newcomb found his own specimen. If David Proskey (who died in 1928) owned the Hines coin, he may have known that it was a new variety.

He could hardly have mistaken it for Doughty 106 (McGirk 14A).

The Robinson S. Brown, Jr. collection (1986, lot 171) included an example with an incomplete planchet at 4:30. See "Oops!" chapter.

Condition Census

VF-20 Joseph J. Adamski, 1957 • John A. Schreuder, 4/1959 in trade for a 1799 VF-30 • Dr. William H. Sheldon, 4/19/1972 • R. E. Naftzger, Jr., 2/23/1992 • Eric Streiner, 4/7/1992 • C. Douglas Smith. State III. Reverse illustrated in Early American Cents and in Penny Whimsy. Obverse and reverse illustrated in Noyes.

F-12 Sharpness of VF-25 but obverse is finely porous. Richard Picker, 7/9/1965 • C. Douglas Smith, 12/8/1983 • Jack H. Robinson • Superior Galleries 1/1989: 233 $3,740 • John R. Frankenfield. State II.

F-12 Dr. William H. Sheldon, 9/22/1959 • C. Douglas Smith. State IV: Reverse illustrated in Early American Cents, in Penny Whimsy, and in Noyes.

F-12 With a very small planchet clip. Sharpness of VF- 20 but surfaces are not perfectly smooth, and some light reverse corrosion. Plymouth Coin & Stamp Co. • Jack H. Beymer • B & B Coins • Dr. Hiram T. Ward, 1978 • Robinson S. Brown, Jr. • Superior Galleries 9/1986: 171 $1,650 • Robinson S. Brown, Jr. • Superior Stamp & Coin Co. 1/1996: 173 $6,490 • Steven K. Ellsworth. State II.

F-12 Dr. William H. Sheldon • Stack's 10/1938: 435 $12.25 • George H. Clapp • ANS. State III. Reverse illustrated in Clapp-Newcomb.

VG-10 David Proskey • Henry C. Hines • Dr. William H. Sheldon • Dorothy Paschal.

VG-8 Sharpness of VF-20 but rough with smoothing in obverse fields. Howard R. Newcomb • J. c. Morgenthau & Co. #458, 2/1945: 140 $8 • Dr. William H. Sheldon. Homer K. Downing • 1952 ANA (Nerp Netherlands Coin Co. #38): 1763 $32.50 • Dr. Charles L. Ruby, 12/1972 • Superior Stamp & Coin Co. • Superior Galleries 2/1974: 464 $170·William R. T. Smith, 8/14/1974. C. Douglas Smith, 3/30/1992 • Eric Streiner • Superior Galleries 10/1992: 79 $1,100 • Jack H. Robinson.

VG-8 Sharpness of VF-25 but finely porous with hairline scratches. Purchased unattributed on 5/27/1950 from William Rabin by C. Douglas Smith. Dorothy Paschal, 5/18/1960 • John A. Schreuder, 4/1970 • Del Bland. C. Douglas Smith, 12/8/1983 • Jack H. Robinson • Superior Galleries 1/1989: 234 $1,485 • Douglas F. Bird • Dan Demeo. State III.

VG-8 Dr. Robert J. Shalowitz, 7/21/1973 • C. Douglas Smith, 12/3/1981 • Frank H. Stillinger.

VG-8 Sharpness of VF-20 but porous. William K. Raymond • Gordon J, Wrubel, 3/3/1974 • C. Douglas Smith, 8/1976 • G. Lee Kuntz • Superior Galleries 10/1991: 136 $660 • Larry Briggs Rare Coins, 4/4/1994 • Dr. Bruce Reinoehl.

VG-8 Purchased unattributed on 1/23/1988 from Michael A. Woodbury (Woodbury's) by Thomas D. Reynolds.