Walter Breen's Encyclopedia of Early United States Cents

Obverse 4. Drastically reground to remove clash marks. The repaired broken left foot of Y is obvious. Hair, profile, and dentils are all weak.

Reverse D. Closest fraction. E is above T-D, S(T) is low, and AM touch. Toe of E(R) is repunched with R higher.

Die states: I. Traces of obverse clash marks near the neck and ribbon. Rust in hair and on the neck near ear. OF and the end of drapery are normal.

II. Additional clash marks from the leaves below chin, from the head within the wreath, etc. Possible die failure at the upper obverse rim. Dies were increasingly misaligned, weakest (dies farthest apart) at end of the drapery and at OF. As a result, these are usually very bluntly struck at the bust. Dentils are sometimes strong above LIBERTY, later weaker. The clash marks fade out.

III. Rim break develops above STA. This and the next were both struck after number 7. Both states III and IV were discovered by Fred H. Borcherdt.

IV. Heavy crack (this may be a retained cud) through TES.

Equivalents: Proskey 5. Doughty 160. McGirk 3A. Newcomb 8. Sheldon 216. EAC 6. Encyclopedia 1741.

Low Rarity 2.

Remarks: This variety may exist in an earlier die state before grinding down, most likely with heavy clash marks. It may also exist in a later state with die failure left of L from the axial misalignment.

Newcomb believed this variety preceded number 5. That would have required reannealing and extensive reworking of the obverse die; microscopic examination of the sharpest specimens rules out the latter.

Douglas F. Bird showed me one with triple struck reverse. Two strikings were closely aligned and plainest at ONE CENT. The rotated third strike is visible at the wreath and OF AMERICA.

Condition Census:

MS-67 Francis H. Lee, circa 1913 • Essex Institute • Stack's 2/1975: 149 $3,500 • R. E. Naftzger, Jr., 2/23/1992 • Eric Streiner. State 1. Obverse and reverse illustrated in Noyes.

MS-65 Found in an old desk at the Essex Institute while it was being restored during the 1930's. Thomas L. Elder 1/1937: 2564 • Arthur A. Wells • 1981 ANA (Bowers and Ruddy Galleries): 2739 $8,000 • Anthony Terranova • Donald Brigandi (Brigandi Coin Co.)

MS-65 M. A. Brown • S. H. & H. Chapman 4/1897: 787 $25 • S. H. & H. Chapman • E. W. Ropes • New York Coin & Stamp Co. 2/1899: 50 $22 • S. H. & H. Chapman • Col. James W. Ellsworth, 3/1923 • Wayte Raymond, 3/1923 • George H. Clapp • ANS. State 1.

MS-62 Seen in Baltimore in 11/1998.

MS-61 David Proskey • Henry C. Hines • Dr. William H. Sheldon, 4/19/1972. R. E. Naftzger, Jr .• Myles Z. Gerson. Bertram Cohen, 3/30/1985 • C. Douglas Smith • Herman Halpern • Stack's 3/1988: 190 $3,960 • Robinson S. Brown, Jr. • Superior Stamp & Coin Co. 1/1996: 300 $3,960 • Dennis Mendelson, 8/1996 • Denis W. Loring, 4/7/1997 • W. M. "Jack" Wadlington.

State II. Obverse and reverse illustrated in Newcomb. Reverse illustrated in Early American Cents and in Penny Whimsy.

MS-60 A veteran American collector • Thomas L. Elder 7/1920: 689 • Wm. Festus Morgan • J. C. Morgenthau & Co. #287, 6/1932: 45 $27 • B. Max Mehl Collection. T. James Clarke, 10/1954 • R. E. Naftzger, Jr. • New Netherlands Coin Co. 11/1973: 530 $1,600 • Douglas Kaselitz • Gordon J. Wrubel • Bowers and Ruddy Galleries FPLs, 1974-1975 $2,395 • Douglas C. McHenry • Superior Galleries 9/1986: 318 $5,280 • Larry Hanks (Hanks & Associates), 1/1987 • Denis W. Loring, 8/1988 • John B. MacDonald, 3/1997 • Dr. Eugene Sherman. State II.

MS-60 John Work Garrett • Johns Hopkins University • Bowers and Ruddy Galleries 11/1979: 99 $3,600 • James K. Norwood.

MS-60 Ellis Robison • Stack's 2/1982: 425 $850 • C. Douglas Smith • Del Bland, 5/1982 • G. Lee Kuntz • Superior Galleries 10/1991: 238 $3,960 • John R. Frankenfield.

MS-60 Burdette G. Johnson • (formerly St. Louis Stamp & Coin Co.) • Mary Hedgcock Sheffield • Hans M. F. Schulman 4/1951: 1117 • Raymond Gallo, 10/1960 • R. E. Naftzger, Jr., 2/23/1992 • Eric Streiner. Obverse illustrated in Noyes.

MS-60 Henry Chapman. Henry Chapman 6/1909: 759 $22 • Clarence S. Bement • Henry Chapman 5/1916: 311$29 Dr. George P. French, 3/21/1929 • B. Max Mehl FPL, 1929: 258 $125 • Henry A. Sternberg • T. James Clarke, 1944 • B. Max Mehl • unknown • Jess Peters #75, 11/1974: 2639 $1,200.

MS-60 J. C. Morgenthau & Co. #368, 11/1936: 244 $2.65 • Judge Thomas L. Gaskill • New Netherlands Coin Co., privately 11/1956 • Dorothy Paschal.

AU-55 Numis International • Gary Sturtridge (The House of Stuart, Ltd.).

AU-55 John Zug • S. W. Freeman •. Abner Kreisberg and Hans M. F. Schulman 5/1958: 1142 $230 • Stack's • Frank H. Masters, Jr. • Rare Coin Company of America 5/1971: 135 $675 • Charles E. Harrison.

AU-55 Obverse illustrated in Early American Cents and in Penny Whimsy. Present whereabouts unknown.

AU-55 George Roebling • New Netherlands Coin Co. #59, 6/1967: 1217 $80 • C. Douglas Smith. 1971 • Robinson S. Brown, Jr.

AU-55 Areas of weak striking. Mid-American Rare Coin Auctions 8/1991: 26 $1,760.