Walter Breen's Encyclopedia of Early United States Cents

Obverse 20. LIB are close and B leans right. See further description at number 28.

Reverse J. Type of 1797, Style IT letters. Spurs within O(F). Points of leaves at centers of D and s. Die of numbers 11-12.

Edge: Plain edge (PE) and double-flange edge (DFE). Die states: I. Perfect obverse die without clash marks.

Reverse crack joins UNITED STATES, not through AMERICA. Clapp 22-Eb. Not seen. See Remarks.

II. Reverse cracked through tops of AMERICA. Clapp 22-Ec. Not seen. See Remarks.

III. Cracked through entire legend. Another crack from the rim below left ribbon to top of u. Rust around UNI and AME. Clapp 22-Ee.

IV. Obverse has four sets of clash marks near the ribbon and throat. Reverse cracked from leaf tip below D to bases of STA, through outer leaf tips below STAT, and through terminal leaves to nearest outer single leaf on left branch.

Equivalents: Doughty 134. McGirk 5B, 9A. Clapp 28. Sheldon 168. EAC 27. Encyclopedia 1732.

Rarity 3.

Remarks: States I and IT, if they exist as Clapp described them, must have preceded number 12; states III and IV may have been coined days or weeks later. This is one of the reasons why any emission sequence for 1798 is a compromise and involves a certain amount of guesswork.

Condition Census:

MS-61 Consignment B Virginia • Hollinbeck Coin Co. #176, 3/1954: 519 • C. Douglas Smith, 1/1957 • Dr. William H. Sheldon, 4/19/1972 • R. E. Naftzger, Jr., 2/23/1992 •Eric Streiner, 4/2/1992 • Thomas D. Reynolds. Obverse and reverse illustrated in Noyes.

AU-55 Charles I. Bushnell • Lorin G. Parmelee • S. H.& H. Chapman 6/1882: 2639 $23 • George W. Cogan • James B. Wilson Thomas L. Elder #21, 10/1908: 1003 $14.50 •Carl Wurtzbach, 1919 • Virgil M. Brand. B. G. Johnson (St. Louis Stamp & Coin Co.) • Dr. E. Yale Clarke • Stack's 10/1975: 53 $800 • Richard Gross. C. Douglas Smith, 8/1982 • Del Bland • Dr. Philip W. Ralls.

AU-55 George H. Earle, Jr. • Henry Chapman 6/1912: 3408 $8 • William F. Brown • Henry Chapman 1/1915: 316 $17 • Henry C. Hines • Dr. William H. Sheldon • Dorothy Paschal • Denis W. Loring, 8/23/1976 • C. Douglas Smith. State W. Obverse and reverse illustrated in Early American Cents and in Penny Whimsy.

AU-55 Howard R. Newcomb • J. C. Morgenthau & Co. #458, 2/1945: 234 $45.

AU-50 With weak striking at OF AMER. George H. Clapp, 3/31/1949 • Carnegie Institute.

AU-50 Robert F. Batchelder • Superior Stamp & Coin Co.

EF-45 Henry Chapman, via Miss Ella Wright, 5/18/ 1939- Judge Thomas L. Gaskill. New Netherlands Coin Co., privately 11/1956 • Dorothy Paschal. Dr. William H. Sheldon, 1/1957. C. Douglas Smith.

EF-45 Henry C. Hines • Homer K. Downing, 11/18/ 1949 • C. Douglas Smith • Dorothy Paschal • Coins & Currency 12/1970: 1838 $235 • R. E. Naftzger, Jr. • New Netherlands Coin Co. 11/1973: 483 $200 • A-Mark Coin Co .• Superior Stamp & Coin Co. • Pine Tree Auction Co. 2/1975: 715 $600 • Superior Stamp & Coin Co. • Superior Galleries 2/1976: 367 $700 • Superior Stamp & Coin Co .• Superior Galleries 10/1977: 166 $500.

EF-45 Purchased unattributed in 5/1983 by Thomas D. Reynolds from Western Rare Coin & Stamp Co.

EF-45 George H. Blenker, 8/1978 • Jim McGuigan. EF-45 Henry C. Hines • Homer K. Downing • 1952 ANA (New Netherlands Coin Co. #38): 1819 $37.50 • K. P. Austin.

EF-40 New England Rare Coin Galleries, 9/1980 • Ray Rouse • Panamex, 6/4/1998 Jack H, Beymer, 6/4/1998 • Thomas D. Reynolds.

EF-40 Sharpness of AU-50 but two attempted punctures and a heavy scratch on reverse. Charles E. Clapp, Sr., 7/1924 • George H. Clapp • ANS. Obverse illustrated in Clapp.