Walter Breen's Encyclopedia of Early United States Cents

Obverse 7. Now with an injury on the cheek, possibly from the edge of another die falling on it.

Reverse 1. Six berries on each branch. Denominator spaced 10 0 with the final 0 high. Reverse of 1796 number 40.

Edge: Plain (III). Boulton blanks.

Die states: 1. As noted. Gash marks polished off. No reverse crack. Only one seen. (Breen, "Cent Collectors" Forum," Numismatist, May 1957, p. 514.)

II. Reverse has a faint crack from (N)E to (N)T and another from the top right serif of F into the field, not reaching x, III. Tiny rim break above A(T), lighter than in 1796 number 40.

IV. Cracked from the rim below the left ribbon end, through the bases of 100. Obverse misaligned with the border broad at lower left, the reverse having almost normal centering, slightly narrower at the top. Centering doesn't permit the break at AT to show. This state followed 1796 number 40.

Equivalents: Proskey 15. Doughty 106. McGirk 14A. Clapp-Newcomb 6. Sheldon 123. EAC 12. Encyclopedia 1719.

Low Rarity 4.

Remarks: Seldom worn, the majority of survivors can be traced to the Nichols Find, discussed at 1796.

1796 number 40 was struck between states III and IV.

Condition Census

This is the last of three varieties that turned up in the "Nichols Find." Like 1796 number 40, it is more rare in Fine condition than in Mint State. Today, possibly 50 or so are known in or near Mint State, but none have been seen that are better than MS-65.

A few of the better examples are:

MS-65 Charles H. Deetz, 9/1926 • George H. Clapp • ANS. Obverse and reverse illustrated in Clapp-Neuxomb. Reverse illustrated in Early American Cents and in Penny Whimsy.

MS-65 With a minute planchet clip. Matthew Adams Stickney • Henry Chapman 6/1907: 1503 $20 • Virgil M. Brand • New Netherlands Coin Co. #41, 9/1953: 251 $165 • Floyd T. Starr • Stack's 6/1984: 26 $5,225 • Denis W. Loring • Thomas D. Reynolds.

MS-64 New Netherlands Coin Co., 6/10/1953 • Mrs. R.Henry Norweb • Bowers and Merena 11/1988: 2760 $11,550 • James U. Blanchard & Co. • Heritage Rare Coin Galleries • Heritage Numismatic Auctions 10/1994: 5006 $18,150.

MS-63 Purchased prior to 1871 by Peter Gschwend • Dr. William H. Woodin • Thomas L. Elder #18, 6/1908: 545 • Carl Wurtzbach • Virgil M. Brand • Armin W. Brand • B. G. Johnson (St. Louis Stamp & Coin Co.), 2/18/1943 as ''D-107'' • A. Kosoff • Oscar J. Pearl • 501 Kaplan. Numismatic Gallery FPL, 1944: 116 $200 • Charles M. Williams • Numismatic Gallery #68, 11/1950: 123 $195 • Warren B. Snow, Obverse and reverse illustrated in the 1914 ANS Exhibition Catalogue as "D-107."

MS-63 B. Max Mehl, privately 7/7/1946 • R. E. Naftzger, Jr., 2/23/1992 • Eric Streiner • Jay Parrino (The Mint). Obverse and reverse illustrated in Noyes.