Walter Breen's Encyclopedia of Early United States Cents

Obverse 9. 1 7 spaced a little farther apart than 797, first 7 leans left, and 9 is minutely high. Two dentils are directly below foot of the first 7, one directly below foot of the second 7. Base of R almost touches the hair and, on heavier strikes, appears to touch.

Reverse K. E of AMERICA was corrected from an erroneous M with part of the extra M visible in E, the rest visible to the left. Horizontal part of the right ribbon is hollow. Fraction bar is irregular, tapering to the left, with both ends pointed.

Very wide fraction with the bar only covering 00.

Edge: Plain. Some have a long diagonal bar on the cylindrical surface. At least one shows traces of diagonal reeding (edge V, as in 1798).

Die states: I. Perfect dies.

II. Very faint bulge from 97 through the drapery into the field. This grows stronger. Most coins sold as "perfect dies" show traces of this bulge.

III. The reverse die was polished. Leaf left of c(E) is hollow and lower leaf of the pair below TA is incomplete.

IV. At least six sets of heavy clash marks above and below the ribbon and before the throat. Bulged at end of the drapery, at first faint and later stronger, not obscuring drapery contours.

V. Heavy bulge obscures part of the end of drapery. The clash marks are faint.

VI. Reverse buckling at OF. "Tongue" defect right of the final A,

VII. Obverse has additional heavy clash marks. The reverse buckling is severe, as in number 15, and rust marks are visible above ITE and below ES. Extremely rare.

Equivalents: Clapp-Newcomb 7. Sheldon 124. EAC 5. Encyclopedia 1711.

High Rarity 5.

Remarks: Usually in low grades and often porous. Low grade examples of number 21 have often been mistaken for this variety. However, number 21 has a die scratch from the fraction bar to the right ribbon, and the leaf point is right of center of M; whereas on this variety the fraction bar is normal, and the leaf point is under right base of the left foot of M.

Condition Census

VF-20 Sharpness of VF-35 but very minutely porous; cleaned and recolored. Purchased unattributed in 7/1984 by Thomas E. Werner • Fred H. Borcherdt.

F-15 Sharpness of MS-60 but heavily porous. Empire Coin Co., 4/1959 • Dorothy Paschal • Dr. William H. Sheldon, 4/19/1972 • R. E. Naftzger, Jr. • Early American Coppers 4/1989: 76 $3,200 • John R. Frankenfield.

F-15 A. H. Baldwin & Sons, Ltd. (London) • New Netherlands Coin Co. #50, 12/1957: 1042 $550 • R. E. Naftzger, Jr. • New Netherlands Coin Co. 11/1973: 440 $650 • William R. T. Smith, 3/1974 • Denis W. Loring, 12/1976 • C. Douglas Smith • Jack H., Beymer • Jack H. Robinson • Superior Galleries 1/1989: 236 $5,280 • John R. Frankenfield, 4/13/1989 • Dr. Philip W. Ralls. State II. Obverse and reverse illustrated in Noyes.

F-15 A. Dean Tomlinson, Jr., 4/1978 • Denis W. Loring, 5/3/1978 • C. Douglas Smith. State v.

F-12 Sharpness of VF-35 but many small corrosion spots and faintly porous. Purchased unattributed by Charles Skiendzielewski. State I.

F-12 Glen Wallace • A. Kosoff • Rare Coin Company of America 5/1974: 840 $525 • William R. T. Smith • C. F. Gordon, Jr., 1/12/1979 • C. Douglas Smith • Dr. Thomas S. Chalkley • Superior Galleries 1/1990: 304 $4,400 • Dr. Ralph W. Rucker.

F-12 A. C. "Hance" Jaquett auction, circa 1979 • John Alan Bricker.

F-12 Sold by New Netherlands Coin Co., via John J. Ford Jr. in 8/1955 at the ANA convention to Hollinbeck Coin Co.

VG-10 Sharpness of VF-25 but finely porous. Michael R. Kirzner, 7/1969 • Denis W. Loring, 7 /1969 C. Douglas Smith, 9/1970 • Denis W. Loring, 9/1970 • Robinson S. Brown, Jr. • Superior Galleries 9/1986: 177 $1,210 • Robinson S. Brown, Jr. • Superior Stamp & Coin Co. 1/1996: 178 $2,090 • Wes A. Rasmussen. State IV

VG-10 Sharpness of VF-20 but considerable porosity. Purchased unattributed from Dennis R. Heller (Ridge Square Coin & jewelry Exchange) #2, 7/1984: 13 by Richard V. Punchard • Bowers and Merena 6/1996:79 $550. State IV.

VG-10 Sharpness of F-15 but minutely porous. Purchased unattributed on 4/7/1991 by Russell E. Aldrich, Jr. • Joel Spingarn • Early Copper Auction #8, 6/1993: 142 • Dr. Willard J. Carmel, Jr.

VG-10 Maurice A. Storck • R. McAusland • Willard C.Blaisdell. Denis W. Loring, 4/1/1975 • C. Douglas Smith.

VG-10 James F. Ruddy (Triple Cities Coin Exchange), 10/28/1955 • C. Douglas Smith.

VG-10 Christopher B. Young, 8/1994 • Denis W. Loring and Thomas D. Reynolds, 2/1996 • L. Michael Lawrence.