Walter Breen's Encyclopedia of Early United States Cents

Obverse 13. LIB are very close, L is slightly low, IB lean right, BE are farther apart, ERT are widely spaced, and y has a hand corrected base. The date is wide and heavy with 8 slightly low. Usually identified by the obverse cracks or breaks described below.

Reverse S.

Edge: unknown.

Die states: I. Two long faint cracks, one in the lower left field, the other from the rim left of L to the ribbon. Reverse crack through RICA is still faint. Microscopic traces of a crack in the field below RI. Only one seen.

II. The first crack has become an immense rim break from opposite the ribbon to near the lowest curl. The second has become a very broad rim break left of L with a crack extending heavily from it to the ribbon.

III. The two breaks coalesce, covering most of the left field from near L to the lowest curl. This is the most spectacular break of 1800. Its only competitor in the series is 1801 number 9.

Equivalents: McGirk SA; Clapp-Newcomb 26.

Sheldon NC-4. EAC 19. Encyclopedia 1737.

Rarity 7. Just eight examples are currently known. Remarks: Discovered by McGirk before 1914 and re-discovered by Sheldon in 1945. McGirk described it from a presently unlocated state II coin then owned by G. Kraft.

Only with the discovery of higher grade specimens was the reverse identifiable. For long the only diagnostic point was the obverse breaks.

Condition Census:

AU-50 Purchased unattributed by John Rex, 9/1978 • Denis W. Loring, 1/1979 • R. E. Naftzger, Jr., 2/23/ 1992 • Eric Streiner. State 1. Obverse and reverse illustrated in Noyes.

VG-7 Leonard Kusterer • Benjamin H. Levin, 8/15/ 1983. Denis W. Loring, 9/8/1983 • Jack H. Robinson -Superior Galleries 1/1989: 440 $10,450 • R. E. Naftzger, Jr., 2/23/1992 • Eric Streiner. State II. Obverse and reverse illustrated in Penny Whimsy. Obverse illustrated in Noyes. Possibly the G. Kraft coin described by McGirk.

G-6 Purchased unattributed from a junk box of coins by Ralph Pfau (Pace Coin & Stamp Co.) • Anthony Terranova, 11/2/1977 • Jack H. Beymer, 11/23/1977 • R. E. Naftzger, Jr., 2/23/1992 • Eric Streiner, 3/1992 • Denis W. Loring, 8/24/1992 • Robinson S. Brown, Jr. • Superior Stamp & Coin Co. 1/1996: 291 $9,900 • Thomas D. Reynolds. State III. Obverse illustrated by Noyes.

G-5 Discovered in 1945 in Providence, Rhode Island by Dr. William H. Sheldon and given by him on 10/21/1946 to George H. Clapp • ANS. Obverse illustrated in Clapp-Newcomb. Obverse and reverse illustrated in Early American Cents. Dr. Sheldon's discovery coin for the variety.

AG-3 Purchased unattributed in 6/1982 at a New Jersey coin show by Herbert A. Silberman, 1982 • Robinson S. Brown, Jr • Superior Galleries 9/1986: 305 $6,050 • Richard C. Dempsey. State II.

AG-3 Purchased unattributed in 12/1984 from a Philadelphia coin shop and sold in 1/1985 to James E. Long, Jr. (J. E. L. Coins), 1/20/1985 • an unidentified eastern collector.

AG-3 Purchased unattributed in the spring of 1971 from Robert E. Strauss by Enoch Blackwell, 8/1977 • Denis W. Loring, 9/1977 • Robinson S. Brown, Jr. • Superior Stamp & Coin Co. 1/1996: 290 $5,280. John R. Frankenfield. State II.

FR-2 Purchased unattributed in 1/1984 from Garry Perkins by Rod Burress • James E. Long, Jr. (J. E. L. Coins), 3/17/1989 • Daniel W. Holmes, Jr.

No other examples have been reported.