Walter Breen's Encyclopedia of Early United States Cents

Obverse 29. Large ''bald spot" below the ear with smaller bald areas in other parts of the hair, from drastic regrinding. IB are close and lean right with the base of B slightly below E. Usually weak at lower part of the date from the reverse rim break of state II.

Reverse EE. Type of 1799. E(D) and E(S) both have vestigial left bases. Reworking has given R a straight tail (not Style I letters). Wreath stems are thinner than usual, especially at the upper left. The outer leaf below IT is incomplete. Minute defect at right foot of (c)A. No center dot. Usually identified by the rim break of state II. See Remarks.

Edge: Plain edge (PE).

Die states: I. Horizontal crack from the rim just below ribbons almost to the hair. Faint crack joins tops of ER. Reverse without the rim break of state II. Extremely rare. (penny Whimsy, p. 235.)

II. Rim break at ATE, covering the top of T. Clapp 30b-CCb.

III. The rim break extends to touch E. Faint crack from rim to the end of drapery.

IV. Cracked through tops of UN.

V. Rim break on UN, covering the top of u and left top of N. Clapp 30b-CCe.

Equivalents: Clapp 40. Sheldon 180. EAC 41. Encyclopedia 1732.

High Rarity 5.

Remarks: Discovered by Elmer S. Sears. Even state I may not be the earliest state. Both dies were drastically ground down, most probably to remove clash marks. A pregrinding state might be identifiable by the reverse, however, if the original state of the reverse had the wreath normally strong and the usual curved tail to R, the variety would be nearly impossible to identify and might pass as unlisted.

Condition Census:

VF-35 Consignment C New York • Hollinbeck Stamp and Coin Co. #100, 6/1951: 1513 $126 • C. Douglas Smith, 1961 • 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.

VF-30 Discovered in England by Elmer S. Sears, circa 1910 • David Proskey • Henry C. Hines • Lillian Scheer (Hine's housekeeper) • Dr. William H. Sheldon • Dorothy Paschal, 3/1975 • Denis W. Loring, 12/25/1977 • C. Douglas Smith. Obverse and reverse illustrated in Early American Cents and in Penny Whimsy. Reverse illustrated in Noyes.

VF-25 Sharpness of VF-35 but some surface roughness. Atlantic Coin Co., 4/30/1983 • John Darmanin.

VF-20 Sharpness of VF-30 but light obverse scratches and two light edge dents. Dr. George P. French, 3/21/1929 • B. Max Mehl FPL, 1929: 223 $20 Howard R Newcomb J. C. Morgenthau & Co. #458, 2/1945: 254 $30 • George H. Clapp • ANS. State II.

F-15 Sharpness of VF-35 but porous. Stack's 4/1983: 1106 $1,200 • C. Douglas Smith.

F-15 Sharpness of EF-40 but porous. Dr. George Hetrich • Bowers and Ruddy Galleries 1/1982: 319 $550 • Dr. Philip W.Ralls.

F-15 Dr. William H. Sheldon, circa 1958 • C. Douglas Smith, 12/1970 • Denis W. Loring, 8/13/1971 • C. Douglas Smith.

F-15 Purchased unattributed on 4/22/1990 from William H. Murray, Jr. by James Young, Jr.

F-12 Sharpness of EF-40 but pitted and burnished on the right obverse. Howard R Newcomb, 12/10/1942 • Willard C. Blaisdell, 3/1975 • Denis W. Loring, 3/12/1975 $500. C. Douglas Smith, 3/30/1992 • Eric Streiner • Superior Galleries 10/1992: 103 $632.50 • Chris Victor-McCawley (CVM) FPL #38, 11/1992 $1,750 • Dr. Willard J. Carmel, Jr.

F-12 Purchased unattributed in 8/1969 by Del Bland-C. Douglas Smith, 3/1975 • Denis W. Loring, 3/1975 • Dorothy Paschal • C. Douglas Smith, 12/1977 • Denis W. Loring, 3/1978 • C. Douglas Smith • Dr. Philip W. Ralls.

F-12 Sharpness of VF-20 but some corrosion. Richard Picker • C. Douglas Smith • Del Bland, 1969 • Robinson S. Brown, Jr. • Superior Galleries 9/1986: 253 $1,595 • Lillian Willins.

F-12 Elmer S. Sears, 8/14/1930 • George H. Clapp • ANS. State V. Reverse illustrated in Clapp.

F-12 Purchased unattributed at a Tampa, Florida coin show in 3/1991 by John R "Bob" Grellman, Jr., 4/14/1991 • Robinson S. Brown, Jr. • Superior Stamp & Coin Co. 1/1996: 246 $2,750 • Chris Victor-McCawley (CVM) FPL #51, 9-10/1996 $3,250 • W. M. 'Jack" Wadlington.

F-12 Sharpness ofVF-35 but pitted. Purchased unattributed by Sal Zambuto, 12/29/1972 • Denis W. Loring • Sal Zambuto.