Walter Breen's Encyclopedia of Early United States Cents

Obverse 4. In the date, 18 are close with 1 and 3 farther from the device than on any other die.

Reverse H. Shortest fraction bar. (E)S repunched at right and M at left base. ME touch. A die cut joins the leaves below M with the wreath stem. Outer point of the triple leaf is below F. Stemless berries right of (N)T.

Die states: I. Hair is normal with the shoulder loop present but its right half weak.

II. At least 10 sets of clash marks above the ribbon and more faintly before the face and below the chin. Faint swelling at the lowest curl. Newcomb 5b-I.

III. Reverse cracked from the rim between D S through the wreath to near the left top leaf. This crack then turns to the right, through the right wreath to the rim midway between F A. Newcomb 5b-Ib.

IV. Reverse has a faint crack from tops of NE to adjacent berry and another from the tops of NT to the wreath and right upright of M. See Remarks. Newcomb 5b-Ie.

V. Heavy crack from the rim through the left side of (E)S to near tip of the top left leaf, joining the crack of state III.

First crack of state IV extends to the left upright of M. Die sinking in a narrow arc over STATES. Very rare. McGirk 10C. Newcomb 5b-Id, but not in his book. See Remarks.

Equivalents: Proskey 12. Doughty 190. McGirk 10A-10C, Ross 12:9-L. Newcomb 9. Sheldon 251. EAC 10. Encyclopedia 1754.

Rarity 2.

Remarks: Newcomb discovered what we call state V in 1925 after his book went to press and first described it in a separate supplementary leaf. However, McGirk had described it 10 years earlier.

The coin in the ANS box marked "5b-Ic," allegedly ex Henry Chapman with the reverse supposedly illustrated on the Newcomb Plate, does not show the state IV cracks.

Condition Census:

MS-63 Henry Chapman, 10/1921 • George H. Clapp • ANS • Dr. William H. Sheldon. Reverse illustrated in Newcomb.

MS-63 W.N. Yates. Henry Chapman 6/1909: 762 $28 • S. H. Chapman • unknown • Gene Sanders (Coinko) • Anthony Terranova • C. Douglas Smith. State I.

MS-60 With low areas above and below the ribbon. A Trojan consignment • Thomas L. Elder 2/1926: 1261 $20 • Frank Hussey • New Netherlands Coin Co. #54, 4/1960: 1441 $215 • R. E. Naftzger, Jr. • New Netherlands Coin Co. 11/1973: 568 $650 • Douglas Kaselitz • Gordon J. Wrubel • Jack H. Beymer, 4/6/1988 • Robinson S. Brown, Jr. • Superior Stamp & Coin Co. 1/1996: 349 $6,325 • W. M. "Jack" Wadlington.

MS-60 Matthew Adams Stickney • Henry Chapman 6/1907: 1531 $4.25 • J. E. Cunningham • Howard R. Newcomb • J. C. Morgenthau & Co. #458, 2/1945: 414 $40 • Milton A. Holmes • Stack's 10/1960: 1438 $275 • Dr. E. Yale Clarke • Stack's 10/1975: 64 $1,150 • C. Douglas Smith, 4/23/1979 • R. E. Naftzger, Jr. • Auction '81: (Stack's): 1512 $3,000 • R. E. Naftzger, Jr. Reverse illustrated in Newcomb.

MS-60 Jess Peters #75, 11/1974: 2643 $625 • C. Douglas Smith • Jerry A. Bobbe • Dr. Robert J. Shalowitz • Jack H. Beymer.

MS-60 Purchased unattributed on 1/1/1990 by Chris Victor-McCawley (CVM), 5/31/1990 • Jeffrey Oliphant.

MS-60 Grant Pierce • Stack's 5/1965: 64 $825 • unknown. Stack's 6/1968: 2 $725 • unknown - Stack's 91 1974: 35 $1,600.

MS-60 Oscar J. Pearl • Numismatic Gallery FPL, 1944: 185 $75 • R. E. Naftzger, Jr. • Quality Sales Corp. 11/ 1972: 86 $2,350. Obverse and reverse illustrated in Early American Cents, in Penny Whimsy, and in Noyes.

AU-55 S. H. & H. Chapman collection • S. H. & H. Chapman 5/1885: 897 $5 • James Ten Eyck • B. Max Mehl #63, 5/1922: 905 $10.50 • George H. Clapp • ANS • Dr. William H. Sheldon • Dorothy Paschal, 1972 • Robinson S. Brown, Jr. • Superior Galleries 9/1986: 370 $2,090. State II.

Obverse illustrated in Newcomb.

AU-55 H. G/ Sampson 2/1883: 308 $4 • T. Harrison Garrett • Robert Garrett, 1919 • John Work Garrett • Johns Hopkins University • Bowers and Ruddy Galleries 11/1979: 108 $2,700 • Steve Ivy Rare Coin Co.

AU-55 Dr. James O. Sloss, 9/1958 • R. E. Naftzger, Jr. • A. Kosoff 10/1959: 83 $100 • R. E. Naftzger, Jr. • A. Kosoff 10/1961: 299 $140 • Stack's. Frank H. Masters, Jr. • Rare Coin Company of America 5/1971: 160 $475 • Larry Whitlow (Beverly Hills Coin Shop) Myles Z. Gerson • Del Bland • William R. Hall • Del Bland, 4/ 1976 • Dr. Willard J. Carmel, Jr., 10/2/1981 • G. Lee Kuntz • Superior Galleries 10/1991: 276 $2,640.

AU-55 From England • Lester Merkin, 1/10/1978 • C. Douglas Smith.

AU-55 Bowers and Merena 11/1984: 2038 $1,045 • J. J.Teaparty • Herman Halpern • Stack's 3/1988: 231 $2,530.

AU-55 Robert L. Hughes Enterprises FPL, 3/1980 $2,550 • 1980 ANA (Steve Ivy Numismatic Auctions): 959 $900.

AU-55 Howard R. Newcomb • J. C. Morgenthau & Co. #458, 2/1945: 413 $32.50 • James Kelly.

AU-55 Henry C. Hines • unknown • Federal Coin Exchange 10/1955: 1170 $52.50.

AU-55 Pine Tree Auction Co. 11/1975: 176 $500 • Douglas Robbins FPL, June 1976 $500.