Walter Breen's Encyclopedia of Early United States Cents

The following tabulation of die-linked variety groups indicates the problems:

Numbers 1-3 (SheldonNC-1,120, 121). Reverse "Type of 1795." Beaded, gripped, and plain edges. Variety 1 is apparently on late 1796 blanks. Variety 2 has the 1796 date layout 1 7 97. Variety 3 has closest date and broken B. Both obverses were probably made in 1796 minus the final digit. This reverse was earlier used on 1796 Caps. These are thought to precede the Boulton flans of November-December 1797 and are believed included among the 411,510 of February 6-March 30, 1797. However, the mixture with beaded edges also argues for inclusion in the December 6-13, 1797 lot, or among early 1798s. Possibly, all following groups were made in 1798.

Number 4 (5-134). Beaded and plain edges. Broken B. Small fraction. This reverse was left over from the initial Draped Bust group minted in the summer of 1796. Same period of manufacture as preceding.

Numbers 5-8 (5-135, NC-6, 136,137). Beaded and plain edges, latter III (Boulton) and possibly early IV. Placed here because of the Beaded Edge coins. Variety 5 has broken B; its reverse is a twin to that of variety 12. Obverse of varieties 7-8 has date layout 1 7 97, like variety 2. Boulton blanks (edge ill) came into use November 6, 1797. Varieties 5 and 7 with beaded edge must have been among the earliest, struck on leftover blanks mixed with the initial Boulton shipment.

Numbers 9-12 (S-122, NC-2, NC-3, 123). Part of a larger Plain Edge group, some or all on Boulton blanks also including 1796 varieties 37-40. Variety 12 has the reverse of 1796 number 40, but preceded the latter. The porosity frequent on variety 9 suggests that these were made from the small quantity of Boulton blanks damaged by salt spray and bilgewater.

Number 13 (S-NC-5). Broken B. Part of a larger group, all with the same reverse and edge III: 1796 variety 41, 1797 variety 13, 1796 varieties 42 and 43. Included among the 416,563 delivered November 6-December 2, 1797.

Later varieties were doubtless included among the 148,000 delivered January 20-March 31, 1798, and possibly among 213,000 delivered Apri1 27-July 20, 1798, or even the 268,200 made July 24-August 17.1 All come with edge IV, though whether early or late can not always be determined; some may have edge III. No later 1797s use leftover 1796 dies. Scot attempted design standardization: all these later obverses have medium even date layout; reverses have five berries on each branch. Edge IV late, though planchet texture varies.

Numbers 14-17 (S-124, 125, 126, 127). Obverse of variety 16 has broken B. Planchets resemble those on some late 1796 varieties and are often porous. Occasional examples have edge V as in early 1798. Probably included among the 69,437 on later Coltman blanks delivered December 7-13, 1797 and the 148,000 of January-March 1798. This group possibly should be placed nearer the end of the sequence.

Number 18 (S-141). Broken B. Edge 1V

Numbers 19-20 (S-NC-4, 138). The layout of the fraction found on this and the preceding recurs on 1798 reverse B. Edge IV; possibly others.

Numbers 21-22 (S-139, 140). Obverse of number 22 has broken Band T; it was made after some of the following obverse dies, but went to press before them. Edge IV; possibly others.

Numbers 23-32 (S-128, 129, 130, NC-8, 131, 132, 133, NC-7, 143, 142). This group comes last because of the style II obverse letters on varieties 31 and 32. Both stemless reverses occur here. Only the obverse of variety 23 does not have a broken B. Edges IV and V. (Chris Young reports specimens of 28 and 29 with Edge IIi I have not seen these. Editors note: On lower grade examples, the diagonal reeding looks very similar to edge beading.)

There are more major mint errors dated 1795 (with plain edge) and 1797 than of any other date in the 1793-1814 series (1796 and 1798 are next). This period of minimal quality control therefore began in January 1796 and continued until the middle of 1798. Off centers, clips, double and triple strikes, flip overs, and various combinations occur, exactly as among the half cents of this same period: see the "Whoops!" chapter in my Half Cent Encyclopedia, and its counterpart below. In both denominations the cause is manifestly the same: high coinage quotas, repeated equipment failures, low job security, and low morale. The early history of the Mint is largely the history of attempts to abolish it. Under the circumstances, small wonder that many factory rejects reached circulation. They make spectacular exhibits both among mint error specialists, cent people, and the numismatic public.

For effective use of the subjoined Key to 1797, first familiarize yourself with the main obverse and reverse variables. On obverse, notice first the three date layouts: wide with 97 close, spaced 1 7 97; medium even; and closest even spacing. The spacing 1 7 97 reflects Scot's practice of omitting the last digit of the date until the die was sent for hardening, in case it would not go to press until after the beginning of the year.

Letter punches are as in 1796 Draped Busts ("Style I" letters-straight tail to R), except for the final obverse of the date ("Style II"-curled tail to R). The reason for adopting new letter punches was deterioration in the 1796 font. First the B punch broke, then the T; at which point Scot ordered a new set, appearing on the obverse of varieties 31 and 32 and continuing through 1798 and later years. The Style I letters recur on several obverses dated 1798; these had been completed earlier in 1797 but with the final digit omitted.
Date layout on these 1798s is that of the medium even dates of 1797, before the B and T broke.

"Broken B" obverses show the upper serif of B abnormally short or missing; in two of these dies, Scot corrected the broken serif by hand, but extended it with a long scratch to the left. Possibly some obverses not classed as "Broken B" may have been repaired more successfully, i.e. less noticeably. On the last of the Broken B dies, variety 22, the T punch shows a break in the crossbar.