Walter Breen's Encyclopedia of Early United States Cents

Reverse Style II Letters Henceforth

Unless Otherwise Noted

Obverse 2. IB are close with B slightly high and leaning slightly right. 8 leans slightly right. Further description varies: see Die states.

Reverse C Aspine from end of the left stem extends into u. C(E) overlaps a leaf. Top right leaf is below a point between ss, Berry below E(D) is far from the adjacent leaf tip, touching the leaf above. Berry nearest (N)E is well above it.

Edge: Reeded edge (RE). State I may also exist with plain edge (PE). (George H. Clapp, The United States Cents 0[1798, Sewickley- PA, 1931, p. 23.)

Die states: I. Shoulder loop and drapery are normal; curl point and top waves of hair are almost normal. Obverse clash marks at dentils from reverse dentils, from near Y to end of the drapery. Rust at ER. Reverse clash marks at dentils from obverse dentils. Clapp 3: 2-C Sheldon's "state a." Reverse rotated about 30 degrees from normal. Very rare.

II. Reground to remove rust and probably other clash marks. Drapery and curls are incomplete; no shoulder loop; curl point and adjacent top wave are fragmented, the wave appearing as an "island" at E. Rust develops at date and drapery. Clapp 4: 3-C Sheldon's "state b."

III. Again reground. Curls incomplete above 1; rust in device.

IV. Rust in radial lines near the right obverse border; vertical scaling at ERTY. Reverse has vertical striae at UN and (c)A with extensive rust through the legend.

Equivalents: Clapp 3, 4. Sheldon 146. EAC 3. Encyclopedia 1716.

Rarity 5.

Remarks: Clapp took the dentil clash marks of state I for engraver's marks, guides for placement of dentils. Sheldon misidentified them as scratches on the ANS coin. Coltman blanks, as previously.

Condition Census:

MS-60 David Proskey • Henry C. Hines • Dr. William H. Sheldon, 4/19/1972 • R. E. Naftzger, Jr., 2/23/ 1992 • Eric Streiner. State II. Obverse illustrated in Early American Cents and in Penny Whimsy. Obverse and reverse illustrated in Noyes.

EF-45 Charles E. Clapp, Sr., 3 /1921 • George H. Clapp • ANS. State W. Obverse and reverse illustrated in Clapp, in Early American Cents, and in Penny Whimsy.

VF-30 Sharpness of AU-50 but some obverse pitting and a reverse edge defect; cleaned and recolored. Abner Kreisberg 6/ 1963: 179 $80 • R. E. Naftzger, Jr. • New Netherlands Coin Co. 11/1973: 462 $180 • C. F. Gordon, Jr., 1/1979 • John D. Wright. State II.

VF-25 Richard Picker, 1970 • Denis W. Loring, 9/1970 • Robinson S. Brown, Jr., 11/1976 • Denis W. Loring, 12/1977 • C. Douglas Smith, 4/1980 • Fred H. Borcherdt. State I. Obverse illustrated in Noyes.

VF-20 David Proskey • Henry C. Hines • Dr. William H. Sheldon, 4/19/1972 • R. E. Naftzger, Jr., 2/23/1992. Eric Streiner, 12/1993 • Wes A. Rasmussen. State II.

F-15 Sharpness of VF-30 but light pitting and some dark red color. Henry C. Hines • Homer K Downing • 1952 ANA (New Netherlands Coin Co. #38): 1787 $32 • C. Douglas Smith. State II.

F-15 Purchased unattributed by David L. Palmer, 3/ 1997 • Denis W. Loring, 4/17 /1997 • Dr. Philip W. Ralls. State N.

F-15 Sharpness of VF-30 but handling marks. Dr. Charles A. Cass • Stack's 11/1957: 144 $19 • C. Douglas Smith • Edward H. Schwartz • A. Kosoff 10/1961: 167 $90 • R. E. Naftzger, Jr. • Robert Gildred • Kagin's Numismatic Auctions #331, 10/1983: 1035 $412 • Jack H. Robinson • Superior Galleries 1/1989: 295 $2,200 • Robinson S. Brown, Jr. • Superior Stamp &: Coin Co. 1/1996: 207 $2,750 • Steven K Ellsworth. State W.

F-15 Gordon J. Wrubel, 11/18/1973 • C. Douglas Smith, 12/1977 • Denis W. Loring, 5/1978 • Jeffrey Oliphant. State II.

F-15 Sharpness of VF-25 but numerous obverse nicks. Dr. Charles E. McGirk, 1934 • Carl Wurtzbach • Dr. William H. Sheldon • Dorothy Paschal, 1977 • Robinson S. Brown, Jr. • Superior Galleries 9/1986: 209 $1,265 • Thomas D. Reynolds. State W.

VG-10 Henry C. Hines • Dr. William H. Sheldon s Dorothy Paschal, 11/1977 • Myles Z. Gerson • Dr. Philip W. Ralls. State II.

VG-10 Purchased unattributed in 3/1985 by Marc M. Calciano, 5/15/1985 • Fred H. Borcherdt. State II.

VG-10 Jay Goodfellow • Denis W. Loring, 5/1974 • Dr. Robert J. Shalowitz. State II.

VG-10 Sharpness of VF-25 but partially couered with fine verdigris. Purchased unattributed in 1985 from Free State Numismatics by Christopher B. Young (Cosmic Coins) • James Young, Jr. • Christopher B. Young (Chesapeake Bay Rare Coins), 4/1995 • Denis W. Loring, 5/1995 • Dr. Bruce Reinoehl. State II.