Walter Breen's Encyclopedia of Early United States Cents

Obverse 9. Bases of LIB are close, especially IB, and R is high. Bases of the date are thin and unfinished, especially 00, which sometimes look open at their bottoms. Top serif of 1 is unusually long.

Reverse L. Spiny serif to C(E). F is repunched. I(T) and T(A) are high. Berry below E(O) is stemless and caught between the leaf point below and leaf stem above.

Edge: Plain edge (PE). This variety may exist with single-flange edge (SFE).

Die states: I. Light obverse clash marks from dentils through bases of date. Extremely rare. Discovered by C. Douglas Smith in the 1950s.

II. Cracked from EO to rim.

III. Clash marks from dentils right of RTY with additional clash marks from dentils left of the date. Reverse has double clash marks from the drapery at OF.

IV. Cracked from the rim to S(T). V. Bulge below ST. Break joins F.

VI. Cracked from the left base of T(A) to the outer leaf below ST. The crack of state IV extends through TEO to the field below NI. McGirk 4E2.

VII. Cracked from the rim between F A curving down and from the rim to O(F) and the leaves, forking.

VIII. Many more obverse clash marks near the date and RTY. Straight row of die chips slant up to the right between the throat and rim. Reverse has about 10 sets of clash marks from the drapery at OF and from the dentils near OF AMERICA. Bulges develop in the center. Cracked from the right base of A(T) to the nearest leaf tip. Cracks of state VI multiply and the crack of state II now extends into the field below UN.

IX. Heavy bulges affect ST, NE, ENT, and the leaves nearest ED, eventually obliterating many letters. Rim breakabove F becomes large. These bulges become so severe that the rims and preserved lettering, UN ATES OERICA, may appear to grade several points higher than the sunken areas.

Equivalents: Proskey 11. Doughty 149. McGirk 4E, 4E2. Ross 23:17-R(?). Clapp-Newcomb 12. Sheldon 199. EAC 24. Encyclopedia 1737.

High Rarity 3.

Condition Census:

AU-50 Henry A. Sternberg • J. C. Morgenthau & Co. #278, 4/1932: 449 $125 • George H. Clapp • ANS. Obverse and reverse illustrated in Clapp-Newcomb. Reverse illustrated in Early American Cents, in Penny Whimsy, and in Noyes.

VF-35 George Roebling • New Netherlands Coin Co. #59, 6/1967: 1215 $450 • R. E. Naftzger, Jr., 2/23/1992 • Eric Streiner. Obverse and reverse illustrated in Noyes.

VF-30 Sharpness of EF-40 but a streak of corrosion on the reverse, cleaned and nicely retoned. W. S. Sisson • Henry Chapman 4/1916: 1007 $12.25. Frank Hussey • New Netherlands Coin Co. #54, 4/1960: 1410 $135 • C. Douglas Smith, 10/1960 • Dorothy Paschal • Dr. William H. Sheldon, 4/19/1972 • R. E. Naftzger, Jr., 2/23/1992 • Eric Streiner • Early American Coppers 4/1994: 256 $2,900 • Anthony Terranova • Michael "Mickey" Arconti.

VF-25 Weakly struck. Rodney T. Grove • Tom Morley • Dr. Philip W. Ralls, 5/1983 • C. Douglas Smith • Herman Halpern • Stack's 3/1988: 179 $1,485 • R. E. Naftzger, Jr. • Early American Coppers 4/1989: 115 $1,600 • Wes A. Rasmussen.

VF-25 Purchased unattributed by Maurice Shepherd • Robert E. Matthews, 11/22/1984 • Joseph Tomasko, Jr.

VF-25 Joseph Levine, 8/1971 • George Ramont.

VF-20 S. H. Chapman • Dr. William H. Sheldon • Howard R. Newcomb • J. C. Morgenthau & Co. #458, 2/1945: 286 $25 • Judge Thomas L. Gaskill • New Netherlands Coin Co., privately 11/1956 • Dorothy Paschal, 1972 • Robinson S. Brown, Jr. • Superior Stamp & Coin Co. 1/1996: 277 $1,265 • Glen R. Griffith. State III.

VF-20 George Ross • George Ramont.

VF-20 Allen E. McDowell • Jake Hendin • William R. T. Smith • Early American Coppers 1/1979: 103 $270 • Robinson S. Brown, Jr. • Superior Galleries 9/1986: 284 $715 • John Sype, 4/1991 • James H. Goudge, 6/1991 • Don Valenziano, Jr. • Early American Coppers 4/1992: 116 $1,500 • Alan J. Prescott. State III.

VF-20 Charles H. Deetz • Stack's 11/1946: 1785 $14.

F-15 Sharpness of VF-30 but heavy edge damage. David Proskey • Henry C. Hines • Dr. William H. Sheldon, 1960 • Dorothy Paschal.

F-15 Purchased unattributed by Steve Marcus. Denis W. Loring, 6/1983 Dr. Bruce Reinoehl.

F-15 Sharpness of VF-25 but some porosity. G. Kraft, 2/ 1923 • George H. Clapp • ANS. State VI.

F-15 Joseph J. Adamski, 8/28/1957 • John A. Schreuder, 4/1970 • Del Bland, 5/15/1970 • Willard C. Blaisdell- Del Bland • Robert E. Vail, 11/21/1988. Del Bland • Ed Kucia (Libertas Americana Galleries).

F-15 Oscar J. Pearl • Numismatic Gallery FPL, 1944: 146 $25.