Walter Breen's Encyclopedia of Early United States Cents

Obverse 23.

Reverse W. Type of 1799. E(D) is wide and perfect. E(S) is narrower with its left base almost gone. Bases of F normal. c(E) with a normal blunt serif, with traces of recutting at top, barely free of leaf. Inner pair of leaves below (N)T are away from the wreath stem, the outer pair touch it. Small center dot. Normally identified by a conspicuous die chip from center of E(D) (state II).

Edge: Plain edge (PE) and beaded edge (BE).

Die states: I. Cracked from the rim through 8 to drap-ery, turning right and extending to end of drapery. Without the usual scaling or die chips of state II and later. Extremely rare. Few are reported, most in low grades, long thought merely too worn to show whether the chips were present. (Breen, "Cent Collectors' Forum," Numismatist, June 1957, p. 659.)

II. Conspicuous die chips in a straight line: from center of E(D) slanting up to the right, pointing to O(F); left of base of right terminal leaf pair; and at the triplet. Clapp 21b-Tb.

III. Cracked from the rim to eye, at first faint, later heavy. Reverse cracked from the rim to right pendant of (S)T through the wreath to O(N), at first very faint. Clapp 21c-Tc.

IV. Faint crack from rim between UN.

V. Cracked from the rim to B to the state III crack, above and left of the ear. Reverse rim break on (S)T. OF weak. Other cracks are heavier.

VI. Obverse crack of state III extends to the ribbons; at least five sets of clash marks below the ribbon. Reverse die chips (Clapp called them scratches) at the ribbons and between feet of IT. Crack of state III now extends to the center dot. At least eight sets of clash marks in the wreath, near the fraction, right stem, and right ribbon. Rim breaks above NI and TED. Clapp 21d-Td.

Equivalents: Doughty 118. Proskey IDA. McGirk 4F2-4F6, 4F8-4F10. Clapp 27. Sheldon 167. EAC 33. Encyclopedia 1726.

Rarity 1.

Remarks: One was seen at the 1988 EAC convention, almost 50% off center in K2. See "Oops!" Chapter.

Condition Census:

MS-60 George Roebling • New Netherlands Coin Co. #59, 6/1967: 1211 $450 • R. E. Naftzger, Jr. • New Netherlands Coin Co. 11/1973: 482 $1,100 • Rare Coin Company of America • Dennis Forgue, 7/29/1981 • Thomas E. Werner, 7/29/1984 • Denis W. Loring, 9/1984 • Thomas D. Reynolds.

MS-60 Clinton W. Erickson, 4/1985 • Robert E. Matthews • Superior Galleries 5/1989: 327 $17,600 • Thomas D. Reynolds.

AU-55 Found on a header in an old house being tom down in New England • Dr. Philip W. Ralls • Eric Streiner • Superior Galleries 10/1992: 98 $3,740 • Chris Victor-McCawley (CVM).

AU-55 Elmer S. Sears • Henry C. Hines • 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 Henry C. Miller • Thomas L. Elder 4/1917: 758 $18.50 • Howard R. Newcomb • J. C. Morgenthau & Co. #458, 2/1945: 233 $62.50 • James Kelly. James Kelly 11/1947: 930 $50 • Harold Bareford, 9/13/1985 • Herman Halpern. Stack's 3/1988: 154 $5,500. R. E. Naftzger, Jr. Obverse and reverse illustrated in Clapp, in Early American Cents, and in Penny Whimsy. Obverse illustrated in Noyes.

AU-55 Jack H. Beymer. Frank Simon, 9/1977. Jack H. Beymer • Dr. Robert J. Shalowitz • Dr. Sheldon Freed • Jack H. Robinson • Superior Galleries 1/1989: 340 $2,640 • Thomas D. Reynolds.

AU-55 With some blunt striking. David S. Wilson • S. H. Chapman 3/1907: 891 $14 • Dr. Henry C. Schwab. Thomas L. Elder 5/1937: 1104 $31 • Walter F. Webb. unknown • Old Colony Coin Auctions 10/1958: 12 $105 • unknown • Abner Kreisberg, 5/12/1961 • R. E. Naftzger, Jr. • Robert Gildred • Kagin's Numismatic Auctions #331, 10/1983: 1037 $1,430 • Larry Hanks (Hanks & Associates) • Kenneth Alterman • Larry Hanks (Hanks & Associates) • Jim McGuigan, 5/5/1996 • Dr. Philip W. Ralls.

AU-55 Dr. George P. French, 3/21/1929 • B. Max Mehl FPL, 1929: 187 $90 • Henry A. Sternberg, 8/1930 • T. James Oarke.

AU-50 Pine Tree Auction Co. 2/1975: 712 $650 • Jeffrey Oliphant.

AU-50 Charles J. Dupont. Stack's 9/1954: 227 $110 • Dorothy Nelson • Stack's 2/1976: 45 $500 • Myles Z. Gerson • Dr. Philip W. Ralls.

AU-50 Peter Mougey • William H. Woodin. Thomas L. Elder 43, 9/1910: 38 $5.25 • Elmer S. Sears • Malcolm N. Jackson • The United States Coin Co. 5/1913: 1249. $11 • Foster Lardner • The United States Coin Co. 11/1914: 34 $7.25 • Henry C. Hines • Homer K. Downing. 1952 ANA (New Netherlands Coin Co. #38): 1816 $27 • Willard C. Blaisdell. Gordon J. Wrubel. William Weimer • Pine Tree Auction Co. 3/1976: 2217 $325.

AU-50 Ernest Henderson, 1958 • Dorothy Paschal, 1972 Robinson S. Brown, Jr. • Superior Galleries 9/1986:235 $1,210 • Jack H. Beymer, 10/31/1986. C. Douglas Smith. State VI. Reverse illustrated in Noyes.

AU-50 John Work Garrett • Johns Hopkins University • Stack: • 3/1976: 36 $360 • unknown • Bowers and Ruddy Galleries 1/1981: 93 $1,800 • Berkshire Hills Coin Co.

AU-5O T.W. Simmons. Leo A. Young 4/1961:1123 $140.