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137
Rare TDS S-158
Penny Whimsy
Plate Coin
146
1798 S-158 R4 Style I Hair, Small 8. PCGS graded Good-4.
Slightly glossy dark olive
brown and steel. The planchet is covered with very fine roughness that subdues the gloss.
No verdigris and the only notable mark is a dull vertical scratch left of the lower curls.
The date is weak but easily readable and the legends are mostly clear except for AMER-
ICA which is faint. Very rare TDS, Breen state VI, with a strong cud break connecting
ITED to the rim.
Our grade is G5 sharpness net AG3+
. The attribution and Reynolds
provenance are noted on the PCGS Secure label.
Pop 1; 13 finer at PCGS for the variety
(PCGS # 36038)
Estimated Value ............................................................$600-UP
Ex Peter Boisvert 11/19/2005-Brett Dudek 6/21/2013.
147
1798 S-159 R3+ Style I Hair, Small 8. PCGS graded AU-55.
The
obverse is glossy dark chocolate brown and steel while the reverse is
frosty medium brown and tan with steel brown toning on the high-
points. The contrast in gloss and toning suggests the obverse was
“Sheldonized” by the good doctor, which involved adding a very thin
layer of wax to protect the surface. Regardless this cent is quite attrac-
tive showing smooth surfaces and only a few trivial contact marks.
The best identifying marks are a faint spot of slightly lighter brown
toning on the jawline near the earlobe, a speck of carbon under the left
foot of the N in UNITED, and a tiny nick off the left end of the wreath
ribbon. MDS, Breen state IV. The die cracks on both sides are clear
but the cud break at the L in LIBERTY has not formed. The obverse of
this cent is plated to illustrate the variety in
Early American Cents
and
Penny Whimsy
. Graded EF45 net VF35 and CC#3 in the Noyes census,
his photo #39054. Bland says VF35 and CC#4 in his census behind the
ANS example and two unconfirmed pieces.
Our grade is EF40 net
VF35
. Only one example is known in mint state and it resides in the
ANS Museum. The next best of the confirmed pieces in the Noyes cen-
sus grades EF40, so this is about as good as it gets. And it comes with
an “interesting” provenance. The attribution and Reynolds provenance
are noted on the PCGS Secure label.
Pop 1; none finer at PCGS for
the variety
(PCGS # 36041)
Estimated Value ......................................................................$8,000-UP
Ex T. James Clarke 1950-Dr. William H. Sheldon-ANS Museum
Collection-transferred by the ANS to R. E. Naftzger, Jr. on 1/26/2001
in exchange for the original mint state example donated to the ANS by
George H. Clapp-and to Tom Reynolds in 1/2002.