Walter Breen's Encyclopedia of Early United States Cents

1809

(Mint record: 222,867)

Obverse 1. UE. UE. C. LH. In the date, 9 was punched over a smaller 9 (possibly from the hall eagle font). E is low and T leans left. A rust pit on the hub (polished off before its 1810 use) leaves a tiny incuse pit-like defect above the head (about 1:00) on all specimens sharp enough to show it.

Reverse A. NC. C. NL. SPC. (N)T is slightly low and leans left.

Die states: 1. Perfect dies. Extremely rare. Smith (1985A) state 1.

II. Crack from base of E(S) through leaf tip below S to leaf beyond. Curved crack or flaw atop (N)T. Smith (1985A) state 2. See Remarks;

III. Raised ridges from the rim through 11th star to the ribbon and from the rim to 12th star.

IV. Light reverse clash marks right of (N)E and (N)T. Smith (1985A) state 3.

V. Crack from rim through E(S), almost parallel to the crack of state II, to the leaf below O(F). Smith (1985A) state 4.

VI. Crack from rim between TE(S) through E(S), faintly to the left top of (N)E. Tiny incuse defect above left upright of M. Smith (1985A) state 5.

VII. Heavy clash marks behind the head. Base of the date is distorted and flow Jines extend stars on the right toward the rim.. Raised ridge at tips of dentils. Reverse has new clash marks left of O(N) and C(E); earlier clash marks at the right are fading. Flow lines at tops of many letters. Raised ridge at tips of dentils. Smith (1985A) state 6.

VIII. A small piece has fallen from the die below (E)S, between the two cracks, adjacent to the leaf. Discoveredby Tom Reynolds. Extremely Rare.

Equivalents: Proskey 1. Doughty 210. McGirk 1A, 1B.

Clapp 1. Sheldon 280. EAC 1. Encyclopedia 1775.

Rarity 2.

Remarks: Formerly called "1809/8." The partial digit under the 9 is, however, not an 8 but part of a smaller 9, thought to be from the half eagle font.

The planchets of 1809 cents tend to be dark and porous, a little worse than in 1808. See discussion before 1808.

Normally weaker on the obverse than on the reverse, especially in parts of hair and dentils. A coin with VF reverse may have an obverse seemingly F or worse, and similarly for other grade levels through AU : the obverse is often a full grade lower than reverse. Usually well centered.

The "crack" atop (N)T may be an injury to the die from a foreign steel fragment adhering to a planchet at striking.

On heavier strikings, the highest leaf point extends minutely beyond center below the base of (E)S.

The ANS state VI coin is in a box identifying it as Cleneay: 1831 but is rough and apparently of lower grade.

Condition Census:

MS-63 From England in 1973 to John J. Ford, Jr. 2/ 1974. R. E. Naftzger, Jr., 2/23/1992 • Eric 5treiner. Obverse and reverse illustrated in Noyes.

MS-61 C. T. Whitman • S. H. & H. Chapman 8/1893: 863 $53 • M. A. Brown • S. H. & H. Chapman 4/1897: 814 $55 • John G. Mills • S. H. & H. Chapman 4/1904: 1274 $40 • George H. Earle, Jr. • Henry Chapman 6/1912: 3446 $54 • S. H. Chapman • S. H. Chapman 6/1913: 524 $115 • Carl Wurtzbach • Rodney T. Grove • Robert Nofal and Lewis Kling • Auction '81 (Superior Stamp & Coin Co.): 527 $21,000 • Superior Stamp & Coin Co., privately • R. E. Naftzger, Jr., 2/23/1992 • Eric Streiner • Jay Parrino (The Mint), 4/16/1996 • W. M. "Jack" Wadlington. Obverse and reverse illustrated in the 1914 ANS Exhibition Catalogue.

MS-61 Virgil M. Brand • B. G. Johnson (St. Louis Stamp & Coin Co.), 2/27/1945 $200 • Rudolph Khol • Federal Coin Exchange FPL, 1952 $275 • 1954 ANA (Federal Coin Exchange): 1031 $290 • unknown • 1957 ANA (Federal Coin Exchange): 136 $495 • Floyd T. Starr • Stack's 6/1984:48 $5,500 • Gene Sanders (Coinko), 6/1984 • Denis W. Loring, 10/1984 • Dr. Allen Bennett, 4/4/1992 • Eric Streiner • Denis W. Loring, 5/1994 • Allan Kollar.

MS-60 From France to Heritage Rare Coin Galleries, 7/30/1984. Denis W. Loring, 5/9/1986 - Robinson S. Brown, Jr. • Superior Stamp & Coin Co. 1/1996: 384 $6,875 •Chris Victor-McCawley (CVM).

MS-60 Purchased around the turn of the century by George Roebling • New Netherlands Coin Co. #59, 6/1967: 1231 $1,750 • R E. Naftzger, Jr., 6/1975 • Denis W. Loring, 6/6/1975 • Douglas M. McHenry • Superior Galleries 9/1986: 412 $4,840 • Peter Setian • Eugene Worrell. Superior Galleries 5/1989: 5012 $7,700.

MS-60 John P. Lyman • S. H. Chapman 11/1913: 432 $51 • Henry Chapman • Virgil M. Brand • Carl Wurtzbach. Dr. William H. Sheldon, 4/19/1972 • R E. Naftzger, Jr. • Early American Coppers 4/1989: 165 $3,750 • Del Bland • Chris Victor-McCawley (CVM) • Dr. Robert J. Shalowitz • Tallarico Rare Coins • Dr. Robert J. Bye • Stack's 5/1997: 386 $8,250. Reverse illustrated in Early American Cents. Obverse and reverse illustrated in Penny Whimsy.

MS-60 Dr. Edward Maris • Harlan P. Smith 6/1886: 278$26. unknown • Dr. James O. Sloss, 9/1958 • R. E. Naftzger, Jr. • A. Kosoff 10/1959: 107 $700 • R. E. Naftzger, Jr.• New Netherlands Coin Co. 11/1973: 596 $4,200 • Andrew M. Hain, via Lester Merkin 10/29/1974 • Gene Reale. Sotheby's (New York) #7083, 1/1998: 46 $10,450 • Richard T. "Rick" Coleman, Jr.

MS-60 Peter Mougey • William H. Woodin • Thomas L. Elder #43, 9/1910: 77 $75 • Dr. George P. French, privately. Malcolm N. Jackson • The United States Coin Co. 5/1913: 1274 $125 • Henry C. Hines • Carl Wultzbach • Charles Wheeler • 1976 ANA (Stack's): 361 $3,400 • Ed Hipps (Ed's Coin & 5tamp Shop) • Dr. George M. Kosko • Stack's 9/1984: 11 $3,630 • Herman Halpern. Stack's 3/1988: 267 $4,950.

MS-60 E. Harrison Sanford • Edward Cogan 11/1874: 266 $25 • unknown • Peter Mougey • William H. Woodin • Thomas L. Elder #43, 9/1910: 76 $41 • Henry Chapman • unknown • Charles J. Dupont • Stack's 9/1954: 501 $300 • Herbert M. Oechsner • Stack's 9/1988: 63 $6,600 • Jeffrey Oliphant.

MS-60 George F. Seavey • William H. Strobridge, 1873: 377 • Lorin G. Parmelee • New York Coin & Stamp Co. 6/1890: 866 $56 • E. W. Ropes • New York Coin & Stamp Co. 12/1893: 309 $19.

MS-60 Richard B. Winsor • S. H. & H. Chapman 12/1895: 890 $55 • Chas. Steigerwalt • Dr. Thomas Hall, 9/7/1909 • Virgil M. Brand.

MS-60 William Sleicher • S. H. Chapman 10/1919: 1008 $55 • S. H. Chapman.