Walter Breen's Encyclopedia of Early United States Cents

Obverse 4. Reground to remove clash marks: see Die states.

Reverse I. Widest denominator. Point of the seventh leaf at left edge of upright of D. Point of the top right leaf between ES. OF is much nearer to A than to s. A die scratch extends up from the leaf point nearest c(E); this may not show on low grade examples.

Die states: I. Obverse reground with the shoulder loop incomplete and hair incomplete right of the ribbon. Additional clash marks from leaves, berry, and stem before the throat. No reverse crack.

II. Usually axially misaligned: weakest at upper obverse and lower reverse. Reverse cracked from tops of NITE to the rim. Newcomb 5-Sb. See Remarks.

III. Reverse crack heavier from rim to left top of N(r). A later die state may exists with a rim break on NITE.

Equivalents: Newcomb 24. Sheldon NC-1. EAC 9. Encyclopedia 1755.

High Rarity 5. "How have the mighty fallen."

Remarks: Discovered by Elmer Sears. Included in Newcomb's printed supplement of 1928. (See Denis W. Loring, "The 1803 NC-1: An Autobiography," Penny-Wise, no. 3, 12/1/1967, p. 35.)

When Early American Cents appeared, only three were known; when Penny Whimsy appeared, only 10.

There are now approximately 35 known. See comments to 1802 number 3.

Earlier specimens were probably mistaken for numbers 3 or 12, both of which have very wide denominators.

Further study of die states may suggest a revised emission sequence. (Editor's Note: The emission sequence of the three varieties which share obverse 4 is tentative. Clearly number 8 was struck first. Available photographic evidence falls to confirm which of the remaining varieties were struck next. Perhaps the only way to make this determination is through side by side comparison of several specimens of each.)

Condition Census:

EF-45 Purchased unattributed in 1927 by Elmer S. Sears, 1/1928 • George H. Clapp • ANS. Reverse illustrated on Newcomb supplementary plate, in Early American Cents, and in Penny Whimsy. Obverse and reverse illustrated in Noyes. The discovery coin for the variety.

VF-20 Sharpness of VF-30 but lightly burnished in the right obverse field. William P. Donlon • A. Kosoff 11/1956: 1700 $525 • R. E. Naftzger, Jr., 2/23/1992 • Eric Streiner, 4/22/1992 • C. Douglas Smith. State II. In Donlon's collection for many years and had been purchased by him for 25 cents.

Discovered and properly attributed by Kosoff while cataloguing the collection for auction.

F-15 With obverse planchet defects. Sharpness of VF-25 but lightly burnished. David Proskey • Henry C. Hines • Dr. William H. Sheldon, 4/19/1972 • R. E. Naftzger, Jr. • New Netherlands Coin Co. 11/1973: 567 $525 • Denis W. Loring, 5/1974 • Dr. Robert J. Shalowitz • John W. Adams • William R. T. Smith, 10/1978 • Denis W. Loring, 11/1978 • Robinson S. Brown, Jr. • Superior Galleries 9/1986: 369 $1,155 • Glen R. Griffith.

F-12 Sharpness of VF-20 but nicks, scratches, and reverse discoloration. Purchased unattributed at a coin show in 1966 by Denis W. Loring, 1966 • Dorothy Paschal • Phillip Homer • Jim McGuigan.

F-12 Ed Hipps (Ed's Coin & Stamp Shop) • Dorothy Paschal, 1972 • Denis W. Loring, 12/5/1973 • Dr. Thomas S. Chalkley. Superior Galleries 1/1990: 483 $2,750 • G. Lee Kuntz • Superior Galleries 10/1991: 295 $3,520 • Wes A. Rasmussen.

VG-10 Sharpness of F-15 but the surfaces are very lightly porous. Arch Cook, 12/1/1963 • C. Douglas Smith, 4/22/1992 • Eric Streiner • Superior Galleries 10/1992: 141 • Robinson S. Brown, Jr. • Superior Stamp & Coin Co. 1/1996: 348 $1,650 • Daniel W. Holmes, Jr.

VG-8 Purchased unattributed by James Payette (New Hampshire Numismatics), 2/1983 • Douglas F. Bird. Gary Ruttenberg • M & G Auctions 8/1996:240 $1,485.

VG-8 C. Douglas Smith • Dorothy Paschal • Eugene Exman, 9/1970 • Denis W. Loring, 9/1970 • Robinson S. Brown, Jr., 11/1978 • Denis W. Loring, 11/1978 • Fred H. Borcherdt.

VG-8 Sharpness of F-15 but edge dents. Purchased unattributed at the Long Beach convention on 10/6/1994 by Stephen Fischer and Thomas D. Reynolds • Grant O. Reed.

VG-8 Lester Merkin 10/1966: 118 $180 .

VG-8 Purchased unattributed on 10/26/1980 at a shopping center coin show by Pete Smith.

VG-7 Purchased unattributed on 6/14/1981 at a small local coin show by Michael Sugamele.

VG-7 Edward Hutchinson, 12/24/1949 • C. Douglas Smith, 11/25/1969 • an unidentified eastern collector.

VG-7 Stack's, privately • Dr. Hiram T. Ward, 6/1978 • Lillian Willins.

VG-7 Sharpness of VG-10 but lightly porous. Consigned unattributed by George Seymour Godard to Coin Galleries 5/1983: 1399$150. Denis W. Loring, 6/28/1983. Jack H. Robinson - Superior Galleries 1/1989: 553 $2,420 • Robinson S. Brown, Jr.

VG-7 Allan Schoenberger (Apple Valley Coin Co.) • John D. Wright.