Images courtesy of Superior Galleries

"AU-55" (illustrated above).  Superior "Pre-Long Beach Sale", June 5-7, 2000, Lot 207, where it was described as follows:
"1803 S-244 R4 AU55 Choice glossy medium brown with darker steel brown toning on the highpoints and lustrous tan faded down from mint red in protected areas. The surfaces are choice, virtually free of contact marks. The only defects, if you can use that term in this case, are an extremely faint short hairline scratch left of the hair ribbon, a spot of slightly darker olive toning in the hair at the back of the head, and another faint spot of slightly darker toning in the field over the bust tip. MDS. Just a touch of light friction on the highest points of the design away from mint state. Called Mint State-60 by Noyes in his earlier assessment, now called AU50 by both Noyes and Bland. Finest known in both census lists, and the only piece close to this one is the ANS example. This is the Noyes plate coin.

Ex Walter Garrabrant from Stack's privately circa 1949-C. Douglas Smith 9/59-Dorothy Paschal-Dr. William H. Sheldon 4/19/72-R.E. Naftzger, Jr., 2/23/92-Eric Streiner 3/30/92-C. Douglas Smith-Dr. Robert A. Schuman."

Recent appearances:
Net VF-20, sharpness of VF-35.  Ex - Bowers & Merena Galleries' "The Cabinet of Lucien M. LaRiviere, Part II", March 15-17, 2001, Lot 2488, "B-3, small date, small fraction" sold for $299.00

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

Relevant collector organizations:
Early American Coppers Club