Walter Breen's Encyclopedia of Early United States Cents

Obverse 3. B. UE. UE. B. Left edge of curl is above the inner left curve of 8. In the date, 08 are close.

Reverse C. NL. SPC. NC. NC. Leaf at D is right of center below the upright. (N)T is slightly low and leans left.

Die states: I. Perfect. Reverse dentils are clear. Rarer than states IT and III.

II. Faint buckling at stars 8 through 13. Flowlines join these stars to the rim. Reverse dentils are fading into a raised ridge. Smith {1985A} state 2.

III. Very faint crack from the rim to third star and the chin.

IV. Severe clash marks from O(NE) at junction of the chin and throat and from leaves before the face and (less plainly) behind the head. Outer points of right stars are gone, ribbon ends are indistinct, and the numerals are distorted. Reverse has heavy clash marks from the face left of O(N) and C(E), and from ribbon ends right of (N)E and (N)r. Tops of D STATES OF merge with inner ridge. Rare and usually found in low grades. Smith (1985A) state 3.

V. Break in the leaf below A(T).

VI. Obverse rim break at 10:00.

Equivalents: Proskey 1. Clapp 3. Sheldon 279. EAC

3. Encyclopedia 1774.

Rarity 1.

Remarks: First described by David Proskey;' Proskey specified the position of the highest leaf below the center of (E)S. Independently discovered by George W. Rice.' In the Dr. French catalogue, B. Max Mehl referred to this as obverse of D-209, reverse of 0-208.

Common in worn condition, but in upper grades this is much scarcer than number 1 or 2. Probably included in the 47; 367 delivered in spring 1809.

Condition Census:

MS-63 Henry C. Colvin • French's #80, 10/1962: 166a $575 • Louis Helfenstein • Lester Merkin 8/1964: 45 $2,300 • Garry Fitzgerald • Lester Merkin 10/1966: 125 $2,000 • unknown • Lester Merkin 3/1969: 669 $1,750 • R. E. Naftzger, Jr. • New Netherlands Coin Co. 11/1973: 595 $2,900 • Rare Coin Company of America •Robert W. Barker • Stack's 10/1986: 6 $12,100 • Herman Halpern • Stack's 3/1988: 266 $20,900 • Denis W. Loring, 7/1988 • Kenneth M. Goldman • Dr. Kenneth Baer • Michael Freiman Rare Coins

MS-61 Henry C. Miller • Thomas L. Elder 4/1917: 808 $145 • Henry C. Hines. This cent was stolen from Hines while he was showing a few select coins to dealers and collectors at a New York City convention, probably in the 1940s.

MS-61 Purchased in 8/1891 from F. W. Lincoln (W. S. Lincoln & Son, London) by Benjamin H. Collins, 1937 • B. Max Mehl Collection • T. James Clarke, 1950 • Dr. William H. Sheldon, 4/19/1972 • R. E. Naftzger, Jr., 2/ 23/1992 • Eric Streiner • Jay Parrino (The Mint). Obverse and reverse illustrated in Penny Whimsy and in Noyes.

MS-61 S. H. & H. Chapman • Richard B. Winsor. S. H.& H. Chapman 12/1895: 889 $32.50 • Virgil M. Brand • New Netherlands Coin Co. • New Netherlands Coin Co. #41, 9/1953: 30S: $270 • Oliver E. Futter and Gene Reale who bought the coin together with Reale keeping the piece after winning a coin toss for ownership • Sotheby's (New York) #7083, 1/1998: 45 $11,000 • Anthony Terranova and Chris Victor McCawley (CVM).

MS-60 Larry Stack.

AU-55 Chris Victor-McCawley (CVM) 1992 • Dr. Eugene Sherman • Superior Stamp & Coin 9/1997: 75 $4,620 • Chris Victor-McCawley (CVM).

AU-55 Foster Lardner • The United States Coin Co. 11/1914: 59 $12.

AU-50 J. J. Teaparty • Chris Victor-McCawley (CVM), 4/15/1988 • Wes A. Rasmussen.

AU-50 R. E. Naftzger, Jr. • Denis W. Loring • a collector.

AU-50 Weakly struck. 1948 ANA (Frank J. Katen, Millard Coin & Stamp Co., #8): 1015 $28.50 • C. Douglas Smith • Homer K. Downing • 1952 ANA (New Netherlands Coin Co. #38): 1981 $57.50 • Standish Hall • James Kelly 4/1957: 106 $60.

AU-50 Charles J. Dupont • Stack's 9/1954: 500 $45 • Dorothy Paschal.

AU-50 Samuel Bauer • Ed Kucia (Libertas Americana Galleries), 11/1990 • Don Valenziano, Jr. • Jim McGuigan.