Walter Breen's Encyclopedia of Early United States Cents

Small Dates: Thin Center To 8

Obverse 1. LE. B. UH. LH Small date with thin center to 8, as in 1810-11. First 1 is high and leans left. The eighth and ninth stars are closer together than others. Narrow dentils. Usually identified by the crack: see Die states.

Reverse A. NR. NR. C. NC. "Dash II below (N)E. Same as 1811 number 2. See the description for that listing and also Remarks.

Die states: I. Crack joins 2 and all stars at the right to top of the head. Crack joins outer points of first five stars and inner points of fifth to seventh stars, continuing above hair into the field back of the head. Reverse has the same clashmarks as on 1811 number 2. The repunching atop ECD) fades out.

II. Tops of ATES OF (later, other letters) merge with the raised ridge which blurs dentils. Additional clash marks are visible within the wreath. Later, the obverse crack through left stars becomes very heavy.

III. Faint crack joins bases of 12, another joins bases of 18. The crack through left stars extends almost above star 8.

IV. The crack of state III is now continuous through the base of the date. A heavy crack joins the fifth and sixth stars. The die has a chip at the right side of the 2. Discovered by Pete Smith, January 31, 1986.

Equivalents; Proskey 4. Doughty 220. McGirk 4A-4C. Clapp 4. Sheldon 291. EAC 1. Encyclopedia 1783.

High Rarity 2.

Remarks: Axial misalignment makes coins strongest at the upper left obverse and UNITED; weakest at the lower right obverse and upper right reverse.

On weaker strikings, leaf point below (E)S is nearer to position PC than NR.

Condition Census:

MS-60 Larry Whitlow (Beverly Hills Coin Shop), 4/ 1971 • R. E. Naftzger, Jr., 2/23/1992 • Eric Streiner, 4/ 23/1992 • Fred H. Borcherdt. Obverse and reverse illustrated in Noyes.

AU-55 With a trace of a planchet clip. 1949 ANA (Numismatic Gallery #55): 857 $49 • Harold Bareford, 9/ 13/1985 • Herman Halpern • Stack's 3/1988: 278 $2,530.

AU-50 David Proskey • Henry C. Hines, sold in 1938 "for eating money" • Carl Wurtzbach, 1938 • Charles R. Mathewson, 1956 • Horace M. Grant, 1957 • Dr. William H. Sheldon, 4/19/1972 • R. E. Naftzger, Jr. • New Netherlands Coin Co. 11/1973: 605 $450 • William K. Raymond • New England Rare Coin Galleries.

AU-50 Numismatic Gallery FPL, 7/1948 $75 • Thomas J. Wass III • N. Y.-N.J. Auction Sales 3/1959: 697 $265 • Stack's, 3/1959 • Frank H. Masters, Jr. • Rare Coin Company of America 5/1971: 196 $175 • Rare Coin Company of America, privately • Del Bland • Jack H. Beymer.

AU-50 Henry C. Miller • Thomas L. Elder 4/1917: 816 $15 • Howard R. Newcomb" R.c. Morgenthau & Co. #458, 2/1945: 482 $18 • Willard C. Blaisdell.

AU-50 Sharpness of Mint State but a small obverse edge dent, a trace of porosity, and cleaned and very nicely retoned. Superior Galleries 5/1992: 509 • Jeff Isaac • Bowers and Merena 3/1994: 1164 not sold • Jeff Isaac • M & G Auctions 1/1996: 282 • Stuart "Mac" MacDonald • Heritage Numismatic Auctions 9/1997: 5181 $2,990.

AU-50 Sharpness of nearly Mint State but a repaired edge dent. M.A. Brown • S.H. &H. Chapman 4/1897: 822 $4.25 • Charles H. Deetz, 9/1926 • George H. Clapp • ANS.

AU-50 Stack's FPL, Coin World 5/1/1985 as "MS-65," $3,000.

AU-50 Dr. James O. Sloss, 9/1958 • R. E. Naftzger, Jr. • A. Kosoff 10/1959: 119 $300 • R. E. Naftzger, Jr. • QualitySales Corp. 10/1978: 128 $1,000 • unknown • Hanks & Associates 4/1985: 7 $1,210.

EF-45 Edwin M, Hydeman • A. Kosoff 3/1961: 125 $40 • Glen Wallace • A. Kosoff • Rare Coin Company of America 5/1974: 950 $425 • Del Bland • Jack H. Beymer.

EF-45 Sharpness of AU-55 but some minute nicks and a reverse edge cut. Robert L. Hughes Enterprises FPL, 11/ 1979 $1,995 • unknown • Auction '84 (Stack's): 1017 $1,265 • Kevin Lipton Rare Coins • Mike Follett Rare Coin Co. • Herman Halpern • Stack's 3/1987: 157 $2,090 • Robert L. Brownell, Jr.

EF-45 Western Numismatics • Rob Kolesar • Pat Hoolahan (West Seattle Coin) • Bowers and Merena 11/1987: 3083 $440.

EF-45 Sharpness of MS-60 but some porosity. Purchased unattributed in 8/1967 at the ANA convention by John M. Ward, Jr.

EF-45 Purchased in the latter part of the 19th century by George L. Davis • Stack's 4/1954: 1640 $40 • Dorothy Paschal • Stacks 9/1954: 515 $60 • Benjamin Stack (Imperial Coin Co.) • Mrs. R. Henry Norweb • Bowers and Merena 11/1988: 2855 $2,310 • Chris Victor McCawley (CVM), 12/6/1988 • Robinson S. Brown, Jr. • Superior Stamp & Coin Co. 1/1996: 369 $4,620 • Douglas F. Bird • James U. Blanchard & Co. • Heritage Rare Coin Galleries • Heritage Numismatic Auctions 1/1997: 5607 not sold • Heritage Rare Coin Galleries. Obverse and reverse illustrated in Penny Whimsy.

EF-45 Sheraton Coin Co., 1947 • Adm, Worthington S. Bitler, 8/1960 • A. Kosoff • Dr. Hiram T. Ward • Pete Smith.

EF-45 Dr. William H. Sheldon • Dorothy Paschal • Del Bland. Dr. Robert J. Shalowitz • Jack H. Beymer. Obverse and reverse illustrated in Early American Cents.

EF-45 Dr. George P. French, 3/21/1929 • B. Max Mehl FPL, 1929: 367 $50 • Henry A. Sternberg • T. James Clarke, 1944 • B. Max Mehl s B. MaxMehl#106, 6/1945: 1704 $12.50.

EF-45 Dr. Augustine Shurtleff, 2/27/1901 • Museum of Fine Arts (Boston) • 1976 ANA (Stack's): 254 $575.