Walter Breen's Encyclopedia of Early United States Cents

Obverse 14. Large date with pointed 1. T is low. Concentric arcs plain in bust and lower curl.

Reverse S. Large letters and fraction. (E)S repunched at lower right. Outer berry at E(D) overlaps stem of the leaf immediately above. Similar to the reverse of numbers 19-20, but the berry opposite pendant of (N)T is normal.

Die states: I. Perfect dies. Newcomb 15-R. II. Reverse cracked from the rim through E(D), wreath, base of 0, top of adjacent N, and right wreath to O(F). Double clash marks from the bust line near A(M). Newcomb 15-Rb.

III. Reverse cracked from the rim through upright of D, left wreath, top of O(N), very close to tip of left terminal leaf, right serifs of E(S), and back to the rim. A third crack from the rim through left foot of A(M), two adjacent leaf tips, and outer leaves to right wreath stem. "Newcomb 15-Rc."

IV. Arc crack from the rim through I, curl, and lowest ribbon near end into the field. Another crack from rim above end of the drapery through bust and shoulder into the hair where it joins the first crack. Newcomb 15b-Rc.

V. First obverse crack of state IV extends faintly to the rim. Double extra clash marks above and below the ribbon, before face and neck. Reverse has at least four sets of clash marks from the bust at A(M) and from the hair within the wreath. Newcomb 15c-Rc.

VI. Reverse cracked from the rim through ST and leaf below A to first crack of state III Newcomb 15c-Rd.

VII. Reverse cracked from base of (A)T through two earlier cracks, joining the terminal leaves. Newcomb 15c-Re.

VIII. Severe bulge obliterates STATE and obscures the upper left leaves.

Equivalents: Proskey 19. Doughty 197. McGirk 20A, 20B, 20C. Ross 19:12-P. Newcomb 22. Sheldon 265. EAC 24. Encyclopedia 1758.

Rarity 3.

Remarks: Long coveted as a type coin. The large numerals with pointed 1 occur on no other 1803 obverse die and not again until 1805.

Until the Guide Book began illustrating date elements, commoner varieties (most often numbers 17 and 19) often showed up in coin shops and at shows mislabeled "Large Date, Large Fraction. Rare."

Condition Census:

AU-50 Dr. Henry W. Beckwith • S. H. Chapman 4/ 1923: 32 $70 • Wm. Festus Morgan • J. C. Morgenthau & Co. #287, 6/1932: 72 $36 • unknown. Stack's, 6/20/1949 • C. Douglas Smith, 9/1959 • Dr. William H. Sheldon, 4/19/1972 • R. E. Naftzger, Jr., 2/23 /1992 • Eric Streiner, 4/1992 • John B. MacDonald, 1/1997 • Walter Husak.

Obverse and reverse illustrated in Newcomb, in Penny Whimsy, and in Noyes.

EF-45 Sheraton Coin Co. • 1947 ANA (Numismatic Gallery #40): 880 $110 • Richard E. Davis.

EF-45 Michael F. Higgy • Numismatic Gallery #23, 9/1943: 1028 $100 • Lotus Sullivan • French's #31, 4/1947: 384 $41.

EF-40 Wm. H. Smith • John W. Haseltine #83, 1/1885: 1241 • Benjamin H. Collins, 11/15/1896 • Charles H. Deetz, 9/1926 • George H. Clapp • ANS. State V. Obverse and reverse illustrated in Early American Cents.

VF-35 Sharpness of AU-50 but burnished; cleaned and recolored. 1948 ANA (Frank J. Katen, Milford Coin & Stamp Co., #8): 1010 $50 • unknown= 1954 ANA (Federal Coin Exchange): 1025 $215 • R. L. Miles, Jr. • Stack's 4/1969: 116 $800 • R. E. Naftzger, Jr. • New Netherlands Coin Co. 11/1973: 580 $600 • C. Douglas Smith • Myles Z. Gerson. Bertram Cohen, 3/1982 • G. Lee Kuntz • Superior Galleries 10/1991: 293 $1,705 JohnR. Frankenfield.

VF-30 Dr. Conway A. Bolt • Stack's 4/1966: 120 $380 • Dr. Nat D. Wilson • 1967 ANA (Paramount International Coin Corp.): 297 $170 • Del Bland • Garry Fitzgerald • C. Douglas Smith, 11/18/1973 • Chuck Furjanic • Jack H. Beymer, 9/30/1978 • C. Douglas Smith. Reverse illustrated in Noyes.

VF-30 Sharpness of AU-50 but burnished. Glen Wallace • A. Kosoff • Rare Coin Company of America 5/1974: 926 $750 • William R. T. Smith • Charles E. Harrison.

VF-25 William F. Gable • S. H. Chapman 5/1914: 1287 $45 • Dr. Henry W. Beckwith • Dr. G. F. E. Wilharm • B. Max Mehl #59, 2/1921: 1448 $71.75 • Robert D. Book, 5/1930 • George H. Clapp • ANS • Dr. William H. Sheldon. Wayte Raymond • New Netherlands Coin Co. #41, 9/1953: 296 $52.50 • Dorothy Paschal • Robinson S. Brown, Jr. • Superior Galleries 9/1986: 389 $1,265 • Jack H. Beymer, 10/29/1986 • C. Douglas Smith, 3/30/1992 • Eric Streiner • Superior Galleries 10/1992: 140. State VI.

VF-25 David Proskey • Henry C. Hines • Dr. William H. Sheldon • C. Douglas Smith, 10/31/1968 • an unidentified eastern collector.

VF-25 Robert L. Hughes Rate Coins • Gordon J. Wrubel.

VF-25 Sharpness of EF-40 but pitted along right obverse edge. May C. Axtell • Thomas L. Elder 2/1928: 1013' $120 • S. H. Chapman • Thomas L. Elder 5/1929: 1794 $140 • Walter Garrabrant • Henry C. Hines • Carl Wurtzbach • Barney Bluestone #100, 2/1948: 449 $28.50 • Dr. William H. Sheldon • Willard C. Blaisdell • Del Bland.

VF-25 Sharpness of VF-35 but an obverse field nick was removed by burnishing, and an edge dent repaired. Howard R. Newcomb • J. C. Morgenthau & Co. #458, 2/1945: 453 $40 • unknown • Leon Hendrickson (Silver Towne) • Jonathan and Arthur Kern (Kerns), 4/1979 • Thomas Caldwell (Northeast Numismatics), 3/1980 • Lillian Willins • Michael Kramer • Bowers and Merena 11/1994: 2059 not sold • Michael Kramer • Heritage Numismatic Auctions 1/1996: 5020.

VF-25 Flambeau Stamp & Coin Co. FPL, 1966: 217 $40 • John D. Wright.

VF-25 Sharpness of EF-40 but nicks and erosion. Barney Bluestone, privately • George H. Clapp • ANS.

VF-25 Robinson, Victor-McCawley (RVM), 12/6/1988 • Robinson S. Brown, Jr. • Superior Stamp & Coin Co. 1/1996: 363 $3,190 • Chris Kromer.

VF-25 Farish Baldenhofer • Stack's 11/1955: 151 $60 • ''WIT.''

VF-25 New Netherlands Coin Co. #56, 6/1962: 515 $210 • Hollinbeck Kagin Coin Co.