Walter Breen's Encyclopedia of Early United States Cents

Group IV. 14-17

Reverses of 1802-03

Obverse 8. Pointed first 1. Wide LIBERTY with IB leaning right. A die defect joins the bases of BE with others at T. Base of Y apparently was broken but repaired by hand. Point of curl is minutely left of the inner curve of B. Tiny spine right of the curl point with another on the highest wave of hair.

Reverse J. Fraction skewed right with the numerator right of center. The fraction bar covers 1 but not the final O.

Denominator is spaced 1 00, but much less widely than in reverse 1. M and base of I(T) show traces of repunching. Point of the highest leaf is between s and o. Minute field chip left of the base of S(T).

Equivalents: EAC 13. Encyclopedia 1738.

Rarity 7. Eight are known.

Remarks: Until recent years this was controversial, partly because Sheldon, cataloguing the "Charles J. Dupont" coins, refused to certify it as unlisted-over my objections. No explanation has been found for the immediate discard of this obverse: probably it failed at once.

Condition Census:

VG-10 Purchased unattributed on 9/13/1990 at the Suburban Washington/Baltimore Coin Show by Stephen Fischer • Jonathan K. Kern and Stuart A. Levine • Superior Galleries 2/1991: 730 withdrawn • Jonathan K. Kern and Stuart A. Levine • Henry T. Hettger • Early American Coppers 4/1991: 88 not sold • Henry T. Hettger. Obverse and reverse illustrated in Noyes.

VG-8 Sharpness of VF-2S but burnished. Charles J. Dupont • Stack's 9/1954: 344 $110 • Dorothy Nelson • Stack's 2/1976: 59 $1,050 R. E. Naftzger, Jr, 2/23/1992 • Eric Streiner, 12/1993 • Wes A. Rasmussen. Listed in the Dupont catalogue as a possible new variety. Sheldon reserved judgement on the variety due to the heavy burnishing of this coin until a second example turned up in 1963.

G-5 Purchased unattributed on 2/21/1997 for $25 by Hugh Bodell, 12/18/1997 • W. M. "Jack" Wadlington.

G-S Sharpness of VG-7 but scratches in right obverse field. Purchased unattributed on 1/6/1987 at the FUN convention by John D. Wright.

G-4 Purchased in 1983 as "5-219" at a flea market at Roosevelt Raceway by Joseph H. Rose and properly attributed by him in 1984 • Harmer Rooke Numismatists, Ltd. 3/1990: 143 $7,700 • Daniel W. Holmes, Jr.

G-4 John J. Pittman, $1,000 • Chuck Furjanic, 4/1973 • Denis W. Loring, 5/1974 • Dr. Robert J. Shalowitz • John W. Adams, 6/1976 • Denis W. Loring, 6/1976 • Robinson S. Brown, Jr. • Superior Galleries 9/1986: 331 $2,860 • Robinson 5. Brown, Jr. • Superior Stamp & Coin Co. 1/1996: 311 $2,860 • John R. Frankenfield.

G-4 Discovered in 1963 by Walter Breen. This coin confirmed the new variety.

FA-2 Purchased unattributed in 1/1998 by Louis L. Whitaker, Jr. (River Hollow Coins), 2/11/1998 • Thomas D. Reynolds, 2/12/1998 • Dan Demeo.

No other examples have been reported.