Walter Breen's Encyclopedia of Early United States Cents

Obverse 18. Close date. L is slightly low, LIB are close, ER are slightly wider, and BE and RTY are farther apart. Usually weak at tops of BE because of the reverse rim break. See Remarks.

Reverse U. Always with a triangular rim break as in number 27 state III.

Edge: Plain edge (PE).

Die states: I. Gash marks from dentils above Y and to the right.

II. Additional clash marks: from leaves near the ribbon and from dentils above LIBERTY.

III. Reverse crack fills the first 0 and joins the final 0 to end of the fraction bar.

IV. Another piece of the die has fallen out at the fraction: the rim break of state I now touches base of the final O.

V. Huge rim break covers the top of I, all of adjacent CA, the ribbon end, all of final 0, and bases of the fraction.

Extremely rare.

Equivalents: McGirk 4J, 4J2. Ross 16:12-K. Clapp-Newcomb 20. Sheldon 207. EAC 17. Encyclopedia 1737.

High Rarity 3.

Remarks: Independently discovered by McGirk and Ross.

On the Robinson S. Brown, Jr. (1986 lot 302) example of state III, foreign matter adhering to the die has obscured some clash marks behind the head.

Sheldon called this the "two glances" variety, not because of any peculiarity of Ms. Liberty's eye, but because two glances suffice to identify it: 1) the triangular rim break below the fraction, and 2) no horizontal crack of number 27.

Condition Census:

EF-40 Bowers and Merena 9/1985: 1862 $2,420 • Anthony Terranova • R. E. Naftzger, Jr., 12/11/1986 • Herman Halpern • Stack's 3/1988: 182 $2,970 • R. E. Naftzger, Jr. • Early American Coppers 4/1989: 118 $2,800. State III. Obverse and reverse illustrated in Noyes.

VF-35 Howard R. Newcomb • J. C. Morgenthau & Co. #458, 2/1945: 298 $25 • George H. Clapp • ANS. State 1. Obverse illustrated in Clapp-Newcomb.

VF-35 John Michael Freedberg, 1966 • ANS.

VF-35 Purchased unattributed on 8/13/1987 by Thomas D. Reynolds.

VF-30 James G. Macallister, 1932 • Dr. William H. Sheldon, 4/19/1972 • R. E. Naftzger, Jr., 2/23/1992 • Eric Streiner, 12/1993 • Wes A. Rasmussen. State 1.

VF-30 Jess Peters #75, 11/1974: 2638 $240 • William R.T. Smith • Jack H. Beymer • Dr. Byron M. Stuart • 1977 ANA (Kagin's Numismatic Auctions 4 #309): 302 $180 • William R. T.Smith. Jack H. Beymer, 11/6/1980 • Richard Feingold.

VF-30 Henry C. Hines • Homer K. Downing. 1952 ANA (New Netherlands Coin Co. #38): 1865 $11 • C. Douglas Smith, 1971 • Robinson S. Brown, Jr. • Superior Galleries 9/1986: 302 $1,045 • Douglas F. Bird • Al Boka. State III.

VF-30 Dr. William H. Sheldon • Dorothy Paschal. Allen E. McDowell Jake Hendin, 4/1976 • Del Bland, 6/1976 • Robert E. Vail, 11/21/1988 • Del Bland • Dr. Philip W. Ralls • Gary Ruttenberg • M & G Auctions 8/1996: 198 $2,420 • W. M. "Jack" Wadlington Obverse and reverse illustrated in Early American Cents and in Penny Whimsy.

VF-30 James B. Wilson • Thomas L. Elder #21, 10/1908: 1008 $10.25 • Henry Chapman • Albert F. Holden, 1913 • Mrs. R. Henry Norweb • Bowers and Merena 11/1988: 2791 $1,430 • Dr. Philip W. Ralls • Superior Galleries 9/1993: 106 • Dr. Philip W. Ralls.

VF-25 Foster Lardner • The United States Coin Co. 11/1914: 41 $4.25 • unknown • Wayte Raymond, 1/1926 • George H. Clapp • ANS. State II.

VF-25 A collection • B. Max Mehl #89, 6/1936: 1732 $9.25 • George H. Clapp • Dr. William H. Sheldon. Sheraton Coin Co. • 1947 ANA (Numismatic Gallery #40):854 $8 • Dr. Kenneth J. Sartoris, 5/1972 • Del Bland, 5/1972 • Denis W. Loring, 8/1975 • Dr. Dane B. Nielsen. Del Bland • John Sype, 4/1991 • James H. Goudge.

VF-25 Country Store, 3/1979 • Richard V. Punchard.

VF-25 Macy's Coin Centre 6/1955: 93 • Willard C. Blaisdell • Del Bland • Jeffrey Oliphant.

VF-25 From England • Elliot Landau • New Netherlands Coin Co. #52, 12/1958: 117 $125 • Dorothy Paschal.

VF-25 Bowers and Merena 8/1983: 271 $242.