Walter Breen's Encyclopedia of Early United States Cents

Obverse 24. In LIBERTY, IB are close and lean right, with the base of B below E, and this E leans further right. Top of 7 is conspicuously repunched. Point of curl is minutely right of center of B: distinctive for Heads of 1799.

Reverse X. Type of 1799. Normal ES crossbar of E(S) joins top. Spine for serif of C(E). In AMERICA, ME are re-punched, with serifs of an extra M (too low) below tops of uprights. Berry below E(O) is stemless and held between leaves. Minute center dot.

Edge: Plain edge (PE).

Die states: 1. Perfect dies. Clapp 25-V.

II. Obverse has three rust pits in the hair below the ear and another at the rim left of L.

III. Clash marks from dentils above IBERTY, from RICA right of Y. Faint field crack below RTY.

IV. Rim break above Y, later extending to the right, although centering may obscure this. The chip at the rim left of L now looks like a small rim break. Cracked from the rim between 17 to the serif of 7. Diagonal scaling across the bust. At least four sets of clash marks below the chin. Reverse has die scratches in the field below E(O) and E(R). Crack from left ribbon just above the fraction bar to right ribbon and right foot of final A. Clapp 25b-Vb.

V. Obverse rim break now touches Y. Reverse rim break above (c)A,later extending above ICA. Clapp 25c-Vc.

VI. Advancing die failures around RTY, associated with severe clash marks from RIC. Reverse rim break now joins ICA. Clapp 25d-Vd. (Penny Whimsy, p. 340.)

Equivalents: Doughty 129. Proskey 21. McGirk 17 A, 27 A? Clapp 32. Sheldon 172. EAC 34. Encyclopedia 1732.

High Rarity 2.

Remarks: Where this belongs in the series is guesswork. It may as easily have followed 26, 30, 36, 37, or 40. Some are known exhibiting a double profile.

Condition Census:

MS-60 Purchased unattributed circa 1952 by V. O. Snelgrove • Fred N. Kahn, 12/7/1977 • R. E. Naftzger, Jr., 2/23/1992 • Eric Streiner.

MS-60 Dr. William H. Sheldon • Dorothy Paschal • Darwin B. Palmer, Jr., 9/17/1971 • C. Douglas Smith.

AU-55 Howard R. Newcomb • J. C. Morgenthau & Co. #458, 2/1945: 242 $70 • Joseph H. Spray= Stack's 4/1978: 86 $2,000 • C. Douglas Smith. State W. Obverse and reverse illustrated in Clapp and in Noyes.

AU-55 With a crack through the planchet. Philip G. Straus • Stack's 5/1959: 169 $70 • C. Douglas Smith.

AU-50 Ira S. Reed, 9/28/1939 • Judge Thomas L. Gaskill • New Netherlands Coin Co., privately 11/1956 • Dorothy Paschal, 1972 • Robinson S. Brown, Jr. • Superior Galleries 9/1986: 243 $3,190 • Dr. Philip W. Ralls. Obverse and reoerse illustrated in Early American Cents and in Penny Whimsy.

AU-50 Carl Wurtzbach • Dr. William H. Sheldon • Dorothy Paschal, 11/1976 • Denis W. Loring, 12/1976 • R. E. Naftzger, Jr.

EF-45 Charles E. Clapp, Sr., 7/1924 • George H. Clapp • ANS.

EF-45 James Kelly FPL #23, 1947 $15 • Milton A. Holmes • Stack's 10/1960: 1407 $27 • C. Douglas Smith, 9/17/1971 • Darwin B. Palmer, Jr., 6/1973 • Dr. Robert J. Shalowitz, 6/30/1973 • C. Douglas Smith, 8/1977 • Denis W. Loring, 9/1984 • Jack H.Robinson. Superior Galleries 1/1989: 349 $2,860.

EF-45 From England • New Netherlands Coin Co. #50, 12/1957: 1100 $43 • Willard C. Blaisdell. Del Bland • Dr. H. Pfautz.

EF-45 Bowers and Ruddy Galleries FPL,.9/1980 $1,195.

EF-45 W. N. Yates • Henry Chapman 6/1909: 753 $3.25 • S. H. Chapman • Charles E. Clapp, Sr., 3 /1921 • George H. Clapp. ANS Dr. William H. Sheldon, 4/19/1972. R. E. Naftzger, Jr., 12/11/1986 • Herman Halpern • Stack's 3/1988: 157 $2,090.