Walter Breen's Encyclopedia of Early United States Cents

Obverse 7. Spacing of date increases to right: 17 close, 9 8 distant. LIB are closely spaced.

Reverse 1. Type of 1795. Single terminal leaves. Berries flank bows; triplet at AM; leaf point almost touches F. Same as 1796 reverse C (numbers 3-5).

Edge: Known with reeded edge (RE) and plain edge (PE).

Die states: I. Obverse bulged behind the curls. Reverse cracked through the tops of OF AMERIC, at first faint. Clapp 12-Kb. See Remarks.

II. Obverse cracked from the rim at 5:00 into the drapery; this splits, one branch continuing upward, the other through drapery and hair into the field. Clapp 12b-Kb.

III. Obverse cracks from low curls up into left field and from rim to field right of Y.

Equivalents: McGirk ID, IB. Clapp 14. Sheldon 156. EAC 10.

High Rarity 5.

Remarks: Discovered by Dr. Charles E. McGirk. Usually in low grades; on Coltman blanks.

Clapp described his reverse state Kb as having a crack through the tops of OF only, not extending through tops of AMERIC as on 1796 number 5. If this exists as he described it, the later states of 1796 number 5 -and therefore also 1796 numbers 6-11-would have followed 1798 number 10! I have seen none matching Clapp's description, and suspect that he examined coins too worn to show the extended crack.

Where this variety belongs in the series is guesswork. Another possiblity is between numbers 14 and 15, because of the obverse die's resemblance to number 15.

Condition Census:

VF-30 From Ireland • Irish Coin Co. • Robinson S. Brown, Jr., 6/1976 • Denis W. Loring, 12/25/1977 • C. Douglas Smith. State 1. Obverse and reverse illustrated in Noyes.

VF-20 Dean Oakes, 11/1967 • C. Douglas Smith • Dr. Philip W. Ralls.

VF-20 Howard R. Newcomb • J. C. Morgenthau & Co. #458, 2/1945: 201 $37.50 • Dr. William H. Sheldon • Dorothy Paschal, 6/1977 • Denis W. Loring, 7/7/1977 • R. E. Naftzger, Jr. • Early American Coppers 4/1989: 93 $5,250 • Thomas D. Reynolds. Obverse illustrated in Clapp, in Early American Cents, and in Penny Whimsy.

VF-20 Charles E. Clapp, Sr., 7/1924 • George H. Clapp • ANS • Dr. William H. Sheldon.

F-15 Sharpness of VF-25 but edge nicks and dents. Howard R. Newcomb, 1/1931 • George H. Clapp • ANS.

F-12 Sharpness of VF-25 but porous. A. C. Gies, 2/1942 • George H. Clapp • ANS.

VG-10 Sharpness ofVF-30 but edge dents; surface defects have been repaired. Howard R. Newcomb • J. C. Morgenthau & Co. #458,2/1945: 202 $30 • Barney Bluestone • Charles J. Dupont • Stack's 911954: 202 $160 •Dorothy Paschal, 8/1972 • Denis W. Loring, 5/1974 • Dr. Robert J. Shalowitz • Chuck Furjanic • William R. T. Smith, 9/7/1975 • Philip Van Cleave • Kagin's Numismatic Auctions #340, 1/1986: 5168 $825 • John Darmanin. State II.

VG-10 David Proskey • Henry C. Hines • Homer K. Downing • 1952 ANA (New Netherlands Coin Co. #38): 1799 $37.50 • C. Douglas Smith • Darwin B. Palmer, Jr. • William R. T. Smith • Willard C. Blaisdell. Del Bland, 11/1978 • G. Lee Kuntz • Superior Galleries 10/1991: 177 $2,640 • Wes A. Rasmussen.

VG-10 Sharpness of VF-20 but finely porous and reverse edge nicks. Allen E. McDowell • Jake Hendin, 4/1976 • Del Bland • Jack H. Beymer, 1976 • Robinson S. Brown, Jr. • Superior Galleries 9/1986: 221 $990 • Richard V. Punchard. State III.

VG-10 Mint Collection of the United States, Smithsonian Institute.

VG-8 An eastern consignment. Superior Galleries 2/1976: 1437 $50 (large lot) • Gordon J. Wrubel. Myles Z. Gerson, 8/1980 • Denis W. Loring, 8/1980 • Fred H. Borcherdt.

VG-8 Sharpness of VF-25 but porous. Maumee Coin Shop, 1966 Frank Reineri • John Reineri, 4/1982 • John D. Wright.

VG-8 With considerable blunt striking on both obverse and reverse. Chuck Furjanic, 4/1978 • Dr. Willard J. Carmel, Jr. • Dr. Philip W. Ralls • Early American Coppers 3/1984: 111 $900 • Douglas F. Bird • Thomas D. Reynolds, 4/15/1989 • Robinson S. Brown, Jr. • Superior Stamp & Coin Co. 1/1996: 218 $2,860 • Daniel W. Holmes, Jr.