Walter Breen's Encyclopedia of Early United States Cents

One in the Smithsonian Institution has a double profile. Another has a small mint clip below 17.

Beware of casts, electrotype copies, and altered dates. Casts and electrotypes will often fail the ring test: balance the coin on a fingertip and gently tap the rim with another coin. A prolonged t-i-i-i-i-ng indicates a struck piece while a dull tink or thud, a cast or electrotype. (See our warning at 1799 variety 2 regarding a cast counterfeit that passed the ring test.) Electrotypes will sometimes have gray spots where the copper plating has worn away. Rarely are electrotypes found at dose to standard weight. Altered dates will necessarily have the wrong reverse die.

Some electrotypes show the correct obverse with the reverse of 1798 number 35 (Sheldon-174). The particular specimen of 1799 from which the obverse was made has not yet been located. If it proves to have the 1798 reverse, this will be a major discovery, establishing the 1799 as preceding 1798 numbers 35-36 (Sheldon-174-175). Most likely, this was made from two different coins.

Condition Census:

AU-50 Purchased by A. H. Baldwin (A. H. Baldwin & Sons, Ltd., London), brought to the United States in the late 1920s, and traded to Frank H. Shumway. Elmer S. Sears • Wayte Raymond, 10/1928 • Henry C. Hines. Dr. William H. Sheldon, 1945 • Harold E. Whiteneck (Sheraton Coin Co.) • 1947 ANA (Numismatic Gallery #40): 851 $16500 • Harold E. Whiteneck (Sheraton Coin Co.) • Dr. James O. Sloss, 9/1958 • R. E. Naftzger, Jr.• A. Kosoff 10/1959: 50 $10,500 • R. E. Naftzger, Jr. 2/23/ 1992 Eric Streiner • Jay Parrino (The Mint), 4/16/1996 • W. M. "Jack" Wadlington. State II. Obverse and reverse illustrated in Penny Whimsy and in Noyes.

VF-30 Henry C. Hines • Homer K. Downing • 1952 ANA (New Netherlands Coin Co. #38): 1847 $875 • C. Douglas Smith • Gordon J. Wrubel • C. Douglas Smith, 1/25/1978 via Lester Merkin • Andrew M. Hain • Dennis E. Steinmetz (Steinmetz Coins & Currency) • 1980 ANA (Steve Ivy Numismatic Auctions): 949 $9,500. State IV. Obverse and reverse illustrated in Early American Cents.

VF-30 Sharpness of EF-45 but porous. John K. Curtis • Bangs, Merwin & Co. 6/1859: 140 $11 • Joseph J. Mickley, 4/30/1867 • W. Elliot Woodward • W. Elliot Woodward, 10th Semi-Annual Sale, 10/1867: 1975 $32 • Benjamin Betts • Jamison Brevoort • Lorin G. Parmelee • William H. Strobridge 6/1876: 1765 $16.50 • M. A. Brown • S. H. & H. Chapman 4/1897: 784 $160 • Ed. Frossard • H. P. Martin • Dr. Thomas Hall, 9/7/1909 • Virgil M. Brand • B. G. Johnson (St. Louis Stamp & Coin Co.), 9/27/1943 $750 • A. Kosoff • James G. Macallister • Milton A. Holmes • Stack's 10/1960: 1415 $950 • Lelan G. Rogers • Lester Merkin 11/1965: 57 $3,100 • Lelan G. Rogers • Stack's 11/1995: 1028 $13,200. State III.

VF-30 Virgil M. Brand • B. G. Johnson (St. Louis Stamp & Coin Co.) • Thomas L. Elder, 2/28/1944 • Leonard M. Holland • Pennypacker Auction Centre, 5/1959 $475.

VF-30 Bibliotheque Nationale (National Library of France, Paris).

VF-25 Purchased from a countryman for $2 by C. Rogers and sold circa 1845 for $25 to Lorenzo H. Abbey • W. Elliot Woodward • W. Elliot Woodward, 5th Semi Annual Sale, 10/1864: 628 $32.50 • Robert B. Chambers • W. Elliot Woodward 2/1866: 575 $27 • Colin Lightbody. Edward Cogan 12/1866: 553 $45 • Mortimer Livingston Mackenzie • Edward Cogan 6/1869: 636 $55 • E. Harrison Sanford • Edward Cogan 11/1874: 260 $67.50 • Richard B. WInSor • S. H. & H. Chapman 12/1895: 863 $125 • George H. Earle, Jr. • Henry Chapman 6/1912: 3415 $85 • S. H. Chapman $200 • Clarence S. Bement. Henry Chapman 5/1916: 308 $160 • Fred E. Joy. B. Max Mehl • Col. E. H. R. Green • B. G. Johnson (St. Louis Stamp & Coin Co.) • Stack's privately - Oscar J. Pearl - Numismatic Gallery FPL,1944: 139 $900 • Harry J. Stein • M. L. Kaplan • C. Douglas Smith, 1952 • Thos. P. Warfield (via John J. Ford, Jr. of New Netherlands Coin Co.), 2/17/1953 $1,150 • Louis E. Eliasberg, Sr. • Bowers and Merena 5/1996: 510 $46,200 • Walter Husak. An electrotype of the obverse of this cent was used for the illustration in Early American Cents.

VF-25 Carl Wurtzbach • Barney Bluestone, 1/1938 • George H. Clapp • ANS. State V. Reverse illustrated in Early American Cents.

VF-25 R. L. Miles, Jr. • Stack's 4/1969: 99 $2,100 • unknown • Stack's 9/1975: 23 $2,200 • Robert Entlich.

VF-25 Dr. William H. Sheldon, via Kenneth W. Rendell, 10/1959 • A. C. ''Hance'' Jaquett, 1983 • Fred H. Borcherdt.

VF-25 Maj. Richard Lambert • S. H. Chapman 10/1910: 602 $92 • unknown • Bowers and Merena 11/1986: 2833 $6,050 • Joel Spingarn • Allan Kollar.

VF-25 Dr. Edward Maris • Harlan P. Smith 6/1886: 276 $25 • unknown • Federal Brand Enterprises 1/1963: 51A $2,150 • unknown • Stuart A. Levine, 4/3/1992 • John B. MacDonald, 1/1997 • Robert C. Clark.

VF-25 Sharpness of VF-35 but obverse scratches and some roughness through the legend. Thomas Steinmetz (Central Wisconsin Coin Co.), 5/2/1993 • Thomas D. Reynolds • Bowers and Merena 11/1994: 2049 $13,000 • Henry T. Hettger.

VF-25 Dr. Jasper Robertson • French's #90, 3/1967: 549 $2,100.

VF-25 Sylvester S. Crosby • John W. Haseltine #70, 6/1883: 1517 $17.50 • unknown • Arthur C. Fritz. Rudolph Khol • Federal Coin Exchange FPL, 1952 $1000 • 1954 ANA (Federal Coin Exchange): 1021 $900 • Edward A. Gilroy, 12/1961 • Empire Coin Co. • Dr. David Katz • Lester Merkin 9/1967: 53 withdrawn.

1799 Conversion Table