Variety Equivalents: Breen 1687

Notes:
No Proofs are known of this variety.

This was the only use of the obverse die.

The reverse die of this variety was also used on:
1796 Sheldon NC-5

Images courtesy of Ron Guth
Coin provided by Anthony Terranova

Significant examples of this variety:
1.  Tied for fourth finest known (illustrated above). Ex - S.H. & H. Chapman's sale of the M.A. Brown collection, April 1897, Lot 773 - Henry Chapman's sale of the George H. Earle collection, June 1912, Lot 3401 - Henry Chapman's sale of the William F. Brown collection, January 1915, Lot 313 - S.H. Chapman - Morgenthau's sale of the Howard Newcomb collection, February 1945, Lot 111, "Uncirculated" - James Kelly - William Sheldon - Dorothy Paschal - New Netherland's 50th Sale, December 1957, Lot 1030 - Harold Bareford in September 1985 - Stack's sale of the Herman Halpern collection, March 1988, Lot 124, "AU-55", sold for $5,225.00 - Stack's sale of the John Whitney Walter collection, May 4, 1999, Lot 1748, "Extremely Fine-40...Fifth Finest Known", sold for  $8,050.00 - Anthony Terranova.  Noyes gave this coin a sharpness grade of AU-50, with an overall grade of VF-35.  According to Terranova, this coin was professionally cleaned and recolored following the Whitney sale in 1999, resulting in a drastically improved appearance (compare the images above to those in the Whitney sale catalogue).  Whether or not this coin advances in the Census rankings has yet to be determined.

Sources and/or recommended reading:
"Penny Whimsy" by Dr. William H. Sheldon

"Walter Breen's Complete Encyclopedia Of U.S. And Colonial Coins" by Walter Breen

Phone conversation with Anthony Terranova on May 15, 2000

"The Official CQR/Noyes Condition Census for U.S. Large Cents 1793-1814" by William C. Noyes

Relevant collector organizations:
Early American Coppers Club