Walter Breen's Encyclopedia of Early United States Cents

Obverse 9. Blunt 1s. Tops of numerals are about in a straight line. Left base of Y is broken and hand-corrected. Point of curl is below the right side of the upright of B.

Reverse K. Fraction 1/000. Highest numerator and longest fraction bar of the 1/000 reverses. Berry right of (N)E is about opposite center of this E, lower than on any other 1801 die. CENT is higher above the bows than on any other 1801 reverse. A(T) is low. Unlike the other 1/000 reverse with this obverse, this has no elongated point on the left stem.

Die states: Perfect dies without clash marks. Equivalents: Sheldon NC-3. EAC 14.

Encyclopedia 1744.

High Rarity 6.

Remarks: Discovered by C. Douglas Smith, February 4, 1950, originally attributed as "D-158" (our number 17). He found the absence of the long point on the left stem a mystery, and comparison with a specimen of number 17 revealed the difference.

The reverse was laid aside, eventually annealed and corrected, becoming the 1803 Corrected Fraction die. One of the rare instances of alteration of a previously used die.

The reason: Scot was running out of die steel.

Condition Census:

VG-8 Hollinbeck Kagin Coin Co. #250 Part 4, 8/1964: 202 $1,175 • Willard C. Blaisdell, 9/11/1977 • R. E. Naftzger, Jr., 2/23/1992 • Eric Streiner, 12/1993 • Wes A. Rasmussen. Obverse and reverse illustrated in Noyes.

VG-8 Purchased unattributed in2/1950 from Dr. Stanley Q.West by C. Douglas Smith, 2/1955 • Dr. William H. Sheldon, 4/19/1972 • R. E. Naftzger, Jr. • Early American Coppers 4/1989: 123 $7,000 • Robinson S. Brown, Jr. • Superior Stamp & Coin Co. 1/1996: 313 $7,700 • Steven K. Ellsworth. Reverse illustrated in Penny Whimsy. Discovered by C. Douglas Smith on 2/4/1950 to be a new variety.

VG-8 Sharpness of VF-20 but porous. Found unattributed in a miscellaneous consignment of cents and correctly identified by Scott Mitchell of Stack's • Stack's 10/1996: 27 $3,190 • Chris Victor-McCawley (CVM).

VG-7 Purchased unattributed by C. Douglas Smith, 6/1961 • R. E. Naftzger, Jr. • New Netherlands Coin Co. 11/1973: 536 $475 • Robinson S. Brown, Jr. • Superior Galleries 9/1986: 327 $1,265 • Frank H Stillinger.

VG-7 Purchased unattributed in 1957 in a New York City dealer's junk box by Walter Breen • Dorothy Paschal, 1977 • William R. T. Smith • John D. Wright.

VG-7 Sharpness of VF-20 but porous with smoothing in right obverse field. Richard Picker, 6/1966 • Jackson C. Storm, 8/1972 • Denis W. Loring, 5/1974 • Dr. Robert J. Shalowitz • John W. Adams, 10/18/1974 • Philip Van Cleave • Kagin's Numismatic Auctions #340, 1/1986: 5246 $1,485 • an unidentified eastern collector.

G-5 Purchased unattributed at the World Coin Show on 4/8/1990 by James Young, Jr.

G-4 Purchased unattributed by Les Heilbronner.

G-4 Purchased unattributed on 10/19/1983 at the Lanham. (Maryland) coin show in a date set by Jack H. Robinson. Superior Galleries 1/1989: 477 $3,960 • John R. Frankenfield.

G-4 An eastern consignment • Superior Galleries 2/1976: 1466 $250.

G-4 C. Douglas Smith. Herbert A. Silberman, 3/1977 • Chuck Furjanic.

AG-3 Harmer Rooke Numismatists, Ltd. • Ralph Pfau (Pace Coin & Stamp Co.), 2/1976 • Robert W. Miller, Sr., 9/1976 • Dr. Thomas S. Chalkley • Superior Galleries 1/1990: 425 $2,640 • Joel Spingarn - Superior Stamp & Coin Co. 1/1996: 1047 • Larry Briggs Rare Coins.

AG-3 Purchased unattributed on 9/13/1975 from John Christensen (Golden Valley Numismatics) by Richard V. Punchard, 6/24/1989 • Daniel W. Holmes, Jr.

FR-2 Purchased unattributed in early 1990 by Mark Poulin.

One other example is rumored to exist.