Walter Breen's Encyclopedia of Early United States Cents

Obverse 23.

Reverse V. Type of 1799. ES and F are normally formed.

In AMERICA, A(M) is weak and has its left leg small, shorter than the right. C(E) is chipped having a spine for its serif. Both pairs of leaves below (N)T are free of the stem.No center dot. Normally recognized by the crack of state II.

Edge: Plain edge (PE) and beaded edge (BE). Die states: 1. No reverse crack. Extremely rare. (Breen, "Cent Collectors' Forum," Numismatist, June 1957, p. 659.)

II. Clash marks, from top and back of head, from fraction to UN. Dies were then misaligned. Long crack from rim through E(D), leaves, stem, ribbon, numerator, and final 0 to rim.

Ill. Bulge behind the back curls, parallel to the border; at least seven sets of clash marks near the ribbon and throat. The reverse crack is heavier. Clapp 21-Sb.

IV. Rim break above ST and the space right. Chip out of E(D), the crack immediately below it is now double.

V. A triangular piece has fallen from the die just below E(D) and obliterates evidence of the second crack.

VI. Cracked from the rim to the left top of (S)T. Break joins C(E) to leaf. Clapp 21-Sc.

Equivalents: Doughty 118. Proskey 10. McGirk 4F7 (description). Clapp 26. Sheldon 166. EAC 32. Encyclopedia 1726.

Rarity 1.

Remarks: ANS has a double struck specimen, the first striking almost invisible (only dentils show), the second striking over 60% off center. (Illustrated in Richard G. Doty, The Macmillan Encyclopedic Dictionary of Numismatics, New York: Macrnillan Publishing Co., Inc., 1982, p. 217, s.v. Misstrike.)

McGirk 4F7 described this variety correctly but illustrated instead a specimen of Sheldon 186, in which the long crack slants up to the right. Oddly, he did not describe the latter as a different variety, despite such obvious differences as the small 8.

C. Douglas Smith has a brockage of this obverse, prob-ably this variety based on die state. See "Oops!" Chapter.

Condition Census:

MS-61 Henry C. Miller • Thomas L. Elder 4/1917: 769 $31 • Wayte Raymond (The United States Coin Co.) • Howard R. Newcomb • J. C. Morgenthau & Co. #458, 2/ 1945: 230 $47.50 • James Kelly. Reverse illustrated in Clapp.

MS-60 Howard R. Newcomb • J. C. Morgenthau & Co. #458, 2/1945: 229 $52.50 • James Kelly • Celina Coin Co. #21, 3/1947: 2041 • James Kelly • James Kelly 11/1947: 929 $45 • James Kelly • unknown • Hollinbeck Kagin Coin Co., privately 10/24/1959 • C. Douglas Smith • Louis Helfenstein • Lester Merkin 8/1964: 16 $500 • C. Douglas Smith • Dr. Robert J. Shalowitz • Kenneth D. Pines • Michael Rubin • Michael Lessans • Greg Holloway. Reverse illustrated in Early American Cents and in Penny Whimsy.

MS-60 With some blunt striking. John P. Lyman • S. H. Chapman 11/1913: 413 $6.50 • Henry Chapman • unknown • Charles M. Williams. Numismatic Gallery #68, 11/1950: 148 as "S-165" $60 • Judge Thomas L. Gaskill. New Netherlands Coin Co., privately 11/1956 • Dorothy Paschal • C. Douglas Smith.

MS-60 Bowers and Merena 9/1990: 19 $4,675 • Denis W. Loring, 9/1990 • Thomas D. Reynolds. State W.

AU-55 Wayte Raymond, 1/1926 • George H. Clapp. ANS • Dr. William H. Sheldon • Dorothy Paschal, 1972 • Robinson S. Brown, Jr. • Superior Galleries 9/1986: 234 $2,200.

AU-55 C. David Pierce • Numismatic Gallery FPL, Fall 1946 $70 • Numismatic Gallery 11/17/1948 • R. E. Naftzger, Jr. • New Netherlands Coin Co. 11/1973: 481 $475 • Rare Coin Company of America • Dennis Forgue • Thomas E. Werner.

AU-55 James A. Stack, Sr. • Bowers and Ruddy Galleries 4/1979: 138 $525.

AU-55 Dr. Henry W. Beckwith • S. H. Chapman 4/1923: 17 $37 • Henry C. Hines • Dr. William H. Sheldon, 4/19/1972 • R. E. Naftzger, Jr., 2/23/1992 • Eric Streiner, 4/4/1992 • Denis W. Loring, 12/1992 • John B. MacDonald, 3/1997 • Thomas D. Reynolds. Obverse illustrated in Early American Cents and in Penny Whimsy. Obverse and reverse illustrated in Noyes.

AU-55 With a small planchet defect through edge. Jerry A. Bobbe • Myles Z. Gerson • Bertram Cohen • Early American Numismatics (Dana Linett) "Buy or Bid" Sale #2, 1985: 534 $5,500.

AU-55 A very uneven, weak strike. Lester Merkin 6/1972: 18 $350.

AU-55 Peter Mougey • William H. Woodin. Thomas L. Elder #43, 9/1910: 40 $8 • William Sleicher • S. H. Chapman 10/1919: 963 $10 • Wayte Raymond.

AU-50 Raymond Phillip.

AU-50 Dr. J. M. Henderson • S. H. Chapman 5/1921: 265 $8 • S. H. Chapman, 10/1922. George H. Clapp. ANS.

AU-50 From England • Dr. Robert J. Shalowitz.

AU-50 Arthur Evans, 1941 • Ashmolean Museum (England).

AU-50 With planchet defects in right obverse field. Judge Jos. Sawicki • Stack's 2/1954: 599 $40 • Eugene Exman • Gordon J. Wrubel • Anthony Terranova • Thomas D. Reynolds.

AU-50 Charles F. Heinig • Stack's 10/1978: 852 $650.