Walter Breen's Encyclopedia of Early United States Cents

Obverse 5. Blunt Is. LIBERTY is far to the right with the point of curl below I.

Reverse D. Again reground with the bow weaker at the right. The fraction bar and entire right wreath stem (between leaves) are very thin. Outer berry opposite E(D) and inner berry opposite (N)T are much smaller than in number 6, both are stemless and isolated in the fields. Most other berry stems are weak.

Die states: 1. Severe clash marks from leaves above the ribbon and before the face and throat. Reverse failing at TAT, later at the right bow.

II. Obvious bulge left of the lowest curl.

III. A second bulge below the ribbon and a third at the drapery into the right field. The first bulge is much larger and heavier. Additional clash marks before the face and throat (now showing almost all leaves). Reverse clash marks from drapery and profile. Newcomb 4c-C.

Equivalents: Newcomb 5. Sheldon 217. EAC 7. Encyclopedia 1741.

Rarity 6.

Remarks: Discovered by Howard R. Newcomb.

The positioning of LIBERTY on this obverse is so unbalanced as to constitute a blunder. Normally, Scot must have begun lettering the Draped Bust obverses by entering the E above or partly to the right of the convex upward wave just to the right of the curl point, and then punching R, T, Y and B, I, L in whatever spacing seemed appropriate-from very close to very wide, higher or lower. Here the E is instead above the second (highest wave of hair): the only instance among the Draped Busts.

This variety may exist in an earlier die state without obverse clash marks, and may also exist in a later die state with rim break over STA (see number 6, state III).

Condition Census:

AU-50 David Proskey • Henry C. Hines, 1944 • Dr. William H. Sheldon, 1945 • Carl Wurtzbach • T. James Clarke • Carl Wurtzbach • Barney Bluestone, 1949 • Dr. William H. Sheldon, 4/19/1972 • R. E. Naftzger, Jr., 2/23/1992 • Eric Streiner, 12/1993 • Wes A. Rasmussen. State I. Obverse and reverse illustrated in Noyes.

EF-40 Charles J. Dupont • Stack's 9/1954: 321 $850 • A. Kosoff • R. E. Naftzger, Jr., 2/23/1992 • Eric Streiner.

VF-25 George E. Mattor, 11/21/63 • Lillian Willins, 8/1971 in an eight-man lottery at the 1971 ANA convention won by Willard C. Blaisdell, 10/1974 • Denis W. Loring, 3/1979 • Fred H. Borcherdt.

VF-20 Sharpness of VF-30 but many handling marks. Purchased unattributed on 6/4/1982 at the Long Beach convention by Stephen Fischer • Del Bland, 6/4/1982 • G. Lee Kuntz • Superior Galleries 10/1991: 239 $18,150 • Daniel W. Holmes, Jr.

VF-20 Purchased on 7/1/1949 as a "type coin" from Harold E. Whiteneck by C. Douglas Smith, 1971 • Robinson S. Brown, Jr. • Superior Galleries 9/1986: 320 $6,875 • Denis W. Loring, 4/15/1987 • Frank H. Stillinger. State II.

VF-20 Henry C. Hines, 1945 • Carl Wurtzbach, 12/1/1945 • George H. Clapp • ANS.

F-15 Howard R. Newcomb • J. C. Morgenthau & Co. #458, 2/1945: 317 $70 • George H. Clapp • ANS. State III. Obverse illustrated in Newcomb.

VG-8 Purchased unattributed in 1984 in a date set of large cents by Richard V. Punchard • Darwin B. Palmer, Jr. • Paul Langseth, 11(27/1996 • W. M. "Jack" Wadlington.

VG-8 With a tiny planchet clip. Purchased unattributed from Joe Gallo (Alexandra Coin Sales) • Lucien Birkler & Co. • Thomas D. Reynolds, 8/1996 • Dr. Bruce Reinoehl.

VG-7 Purchased unattributed on 5/4/1984 at the Michigan State convention by Larry Bolema.

G-6 Found unattributed in a large lot of large cents purchased in New England by John E. Borhek, 9/1973. Denis W. Loring, 5/1974. Dr. Robert J, Shalowitz • William R. T. Smith • C. Douglas Smith • William R. T. Smith, 4/1978 • John D. Wright.

G-6 Howard R. Newcomb, 1/1931 • George H. Clapp.

G-5 Purchased unattributed on 1/31/1985 from AI Schafer (Cerritos Coin Gallery) at the Long Beach convention by Dan Demeo, 1/31/1985 • Jack H. Robinson • Superior Galleries 1/1989: 460 $6,050 • Daniel W. Holmes, Jr. • John R. Frankenfield.

G4 Kenneth W. Rendell, 8/1957 • Dorothy Paschal, 1977 • William R. T. Smith • an unidentified eastern collector.

G-4 Purchased unattributed in 3/1985 at a local coin show by Ronald Janowski.

AG-3 Purchased unattributed on 10/21/1972 at the MANA convention by Darwin B. Palmer, Jr. • William R. T. Smith, 5/22/1974 • Philip Van Cleave • Kagin's Numismatic Auctions #340, 1/1986: 5240 $2,530 • Robinson S. Brown, Jr. • Superior Stamp & Coin Co. 1/1996: 301 $5,500 • John R. Frankenfield.

AG-3 Sharpness of F-15 but porous. Purchased unattributed in 1/1990 and sold to Dr. Robert J. Shalowitz • Darwin B. Palmer, Jr. • Paul Langseth, 9/29/1997 • W. M. "Jack" Wadlington.

No other examples have been reported.