Walter Breen's Encyclopedia of Early United States Cents

Obverse 10. 1798/7 with serif plain at the upper left of large 8. Bases of IB are above Land E.

Reverse K. Wide straight fraction with a long bar. (M)E blundered: first rotated 180 degrees then corrected, leaning right. Base of A below M. CE below NT. Stem of the berry below E(D) is long enough that the berry is entirely beyond the adjacent leaf tip.

Edge: Plain edge (PE) and double-flange edge (DFE). Die states: I. "Perfect obverse." Buckling begins from the rim toward hair below the ribbon. No cracks. Extremely rare.

II. Reverse rust develops near RICA. Straight crack from rim to the hair below knot. Clapp 8b-H.

III. Cracked from the rim to ribbons, parallel to that of state II. The state II crack extends to the curls below the ear. At least fivefold clash marks, plainest below L, with a bulge developing left of that letter. Clapp 8c-H.

IV. Two more cracks from the rim to ribbon. Equivalents: Sheldon 152. Doughty 113. Proskey 4. Clapp 10. EAC 14.

High Rarity 2.

Remarks: Long prized and exaggerated in alleged rarity because of the overdate.

Condition Census:

AU-55 Harry W. Gumaer, 3/1941 • George H. Clapp • ANS • Dr. William H. Sheldon. Reverse illustrated in Early American Cents and in Penny Whimsy for 1798 NC-

1. Obverse illustrated in Penny Whimsy. Obverse and reverse illustrated in Noyes.

AU-55 Bebee's, 10/1966 as "MS70" • Thomas D. Reynolds.

EF-45 Sharpness of AU-55 but planchet incomplete; cleaned and recolored. DeanC Johnson, 1978 • Fred H. Borcherdt.

EF-40 Ferguson Haines • W. Elliot Woodward #32, 10/ 1880: 260 $2.75 • unknown • Dr. Henry W. Beckwith • S. H. Chapman 4/1923: 15 $55 • Elmer S. Sears • Col. E. H. R. Green • B. G. Johnson (St. Louis Stamp & Coin Co.) • Arthur C Fritz • Rudolph Khol • Federal Coin Exchange FPL, 1952 $200 • 1954 ANA (Federal Coin Exchange): 1020 $245 • 1957 ANA (Federal Coin Exchange): 91 $275 • R. E. Naftzger, Jr. • New Netherlands Coin Co. 11/1973: 468 $425 • Dr. John M. Tondra, 1980 • Garry Fitzgerald.

EF-40 Howard R. Newcomb • J. C. Morgenthau & Co. #458, 2/1945: 193 $50 • Milton A. Holmes • Stack's 10/1960: 1400 $450 • R. L. Miles, Jr. • Stack's 4/1969: 94 $550 • unknown • Stack's 9/1975: 21 $950 • C Douglas Smith. State II. Obverse and reverse illustrated in Clapp. Obverse illustrated in Early American Cents.

EF-40 Sharpness of AU-50 but tiny handling marks and fine scratches. Dr. William H. Sheldon • ANS.

EF-40 Col. James W. Ellsworth, 3/1923 • Wayte Raymond, 3/1923 • George H. Clapp • ANS. Reverse illustrated in Early American Cents.

EF-40 Dr. George P. French, 3/21/1929 • B. Max Mehl FPL, 1929:179 $100 • Henry A. Sternberg, 8/1930 • T. James Clarke, 1950 • Dr. William H. Sheldon • Farish Baldenhofer • Stack's 11/1955: 140 $60 • "WJT." Reverse illustrated in Penny Whimsy.

VF-35 Sharpness of EF-45 but shallow planchet roughness on both sides. Loye L. Lauder • William Doyle Galleries 12/1983: 349 $715 • Stephen Fischer • Fred H. Borcherdt.

VF-35 Sharpness of EF-40 but some scratches; cleaned and nicely recolored. Philip G. Straus • Stack's 5/1959: 164 $330 • Dorothy Nelson • unknown • Kagin's Numismatic Auctions #326, 2/1982: 117 $446.25 • Denis W. Loring, 3/1982. Robinson S. Brown, Jr. • Superior Galleries 9/1986: 217 $1,100 • Jack H. Beymer • Herman Halpern • Stack's 3/1988: 149 $1,430 • Thomas D. Reynolds • Bowers and Merena Galleries FPL #90, Winter 1992 $3,350 • Bowers and Merena 1/1993: 271 not sold • Bowers and Merena Galleries FPL #93, May-June 1993 $3,350 • Denis W. Loring • John B. MacDonald • Denis W. Loring, 5/1996 • Robert C. Clark. State II.

VF-30 John P. Young • Barney Bluestone #88, 7/1945: 697 $25 • Dr. William H. Sheldon • Dorothy Paschal, 11/1977 • Myles Z. Gerson • Dr. Philip W. Ralls. Early American Coppers 3/1984: 107 $750 • Dr. Philip W. Ralls.

VF-30 Sharpness of EF-40 but light edge dents and some porosity on obverse. June and Larry Hannick (Seattle Coin Shop), 6/1979 • Del Bland • Dr. Philip W. Ralls • Douglas F. Bird • Early American Coppers 4/1989: 91 $1,700 • Stuart "Mac" MacDonald • Heritage Numismatic Auctions 9/1997: 5125 $3,105 • W. M. ''Jack'' Wadlington.