Walter Breen's Encyclopedia of Early United States Cents

Obverse 1. Overdate, 1810/09. B. UH. C. LE. E is low and leans left. Curl behind the eye is doubled. First 1 is repunched, second 1 double punched over 0, and 0 over 9. Broad coarse dentils.

See Remarks.

Reverse A. Pc. NR. C. C. N is above U and E(D) is above T. Broken NS. See Remarks.

Die states: I. Perfect dies without clash marks. McGirk 1A. Untraced.

II. Faint crack or guide line through tops of TED. No clash marks.

III. At least seven sets of faint clash marks within the wreath. Dentils are still strong.

IV. At least four sets of severe clash marks on the ob-verse and reverse. Raised ridge near dentils above STATES OF. Flowlines join stars and letters to the dentils. Smith (1985) state 2. Rare.

Equivalents: Proskey 1. Doughty 211. McGirk 1A. Clapp 1. Sheldon 281. EAC 1. Encyclopedia 1776.

Rarity 1.

Remarks: On an 1810 obverse dies the top lock is enlarged by hand and it differs from one die to the next.

This overdate was long controversial as to whether it was from 1809 or 1808. Examination of sharply struck coins of early die states favors 1809. However, this die differs from that used on 1809 number 1. The broad coarse dentils are unlike any used in 1808 or 1809; they recur on 1810 number 2, but not again until 1812.

On weaker strikings, the leaf point at D falls minutely short of the inner right curve and the leaf point at F is minutely left of center below the base. NS have both inner serifs broken, through 1811.

Often with dies misaligned: the lower left obverse border and upper left reverse border are weakest. John D. Wright has one with severe axial misalignment: the obverse is about 10% off center in K-10 with the reverse about normal. This is too worn to determine the die state. Either this was corrected at once, or one may expect to see later die states with rim breaks near the date and last few stars.

Condition Census:

MS-64 From England to Maj. Charles Cole, 12/1969 • Dr. Peter G. Anderson • Fred H. Borcherdt, 4/23/1992 • Eric Streiner • Jay Parrino (The Mint) • Dr. EugeneSherman. Superior Stamp & Coin 9/1997: 79 $60,500.

MS-63 George W. Merritt • Ed. Frossard 1/1879: 162 • S.H. & H. Chapman • Peter Mougey • William H. Woodin • Thomas L. Elder #43, 9/1910: 79 $26 • Henry Chapman • Clarence S. Bement • Henry Chapman 5/1916: 324 $28 • Robert D. Book, 5/1930 • George H. Clapp • ANS • Dr. William H. Sheldon. Obverse illustrated in the 1879 Frossard monograph and in Penny Whimsy. Obverse and reverse illustrated in Noyes.

MS-62 Softly struck. Dr. Kenneth J. Sartoris, 5/1972 • Del Bland, 5/1972 • John W. Adams • Denis W. Loring • Douglas M. McHenry • Superior Galleries 9/1986: 416 $5,500 • Anthony Terranova • R. E. Naftzger, Jr., 2/23/ 1992 • Eric Streiner, 5/1992 • Denis W. Loring, 12/1992 • John B. MacDonald.

MS-60 Howard R Newcomb • J. C. Morgenthau & Co. #458, 2/1945: 474 $42 • Judge Thomas L. Gaskill • New Netherlands Coin Co., privately 11/1956 • Dorothy Paschal • Charles E. Harrison. Obverse and reverse illustrated in Early American Cents. Reverse illustrated in Penny Whimsy.

AU-55 Sharpness of Mint State but cleaned and slightly retoned. Loye L. Lauder • William Doyle Galleries 12/ 1983: 384 $3,300 • Tom Caldwell (Northeast Numismatics) • Bowers and Merena Galleries FPL '51, April.1984 & '52, June 1984 $9,750 • unknown • Bowers and Merena 6/1986: 2172 as "MS-65" $6,600 • unknown • Bowers and Merena 1/1993: 277 $4,180. State IV.

AU-55 New Netherlands Coin Co. FPL, 9/1937 $47.50 • Arthur A. Wells • 1981 ANA (Bowers and Ruddy Galleries): 2746 $2,000 • Kevin Lipton Rare Coins.

AU-50 Weakly struck. Dr. C. T. Mayfield. Stack's 1/1958: 616 $35 • unknown • Bowers and Merena 8/1983: 291 $2,420 • Jim McGuigan and Douglas F. Bird • Auction '85 (Stack's): 1530 $1,760 • Dr. Michael Eisenberg.

AU-50 W. Smithson, 12/1863 • British Museum (London).

AU-50 Keystone Rare Coin Galleries FPL, 11/16/1992 $3,900 • John Gervasoni (Scorpio Monetary Distributors) FPL, 1/10/1994 $4,500 • J. J. Teaparty • National Gold Exchange FPL, 5/26/1997 $6,350 • Charles O. Browne • John L. Schuch Rare Coins • Dr. Juan XII Suros.

AU-50 Hollinbeck: Coin Co. #207, 9/1956: 1891 • Herbert M. Oechsner.

AU-50 1964 ANA (Federal Brand Enterprises): 118 $255.