146 / 280
144
Finest 1798 S-164
158
1798 S-164 R4 Style I Hair, Small 8. PCGS graded MS-62 Brown.
Beautiful frosty medium chocolate brown with slightly darker steel
brown toning on the highpoints and lighter steel brown in protected
areas. No spots or stains, virtually flawless. A tiny planchet chip very
well hidden in the curl left of the date is the best identifying mark, but
you will need a strong glass to see it. MDS, Breen state IV, with exten-
sive die erosion on the right half of the obverse mixed with clashmarks.
A superb example of an odd-looking die state. Graded AU55 Choice
and CC#1 in the Noyes census, his photo #23072. Bland says AU55 and
CC#1.
Our grade is AU58, very close to mint state
. This cent is plated
in the 1931 reference on the cents of 1798 & 1799 by George H. Clapp,
as well as in
Early American Cents
,
Penny Whimsy
, and in the Breen
encyclopedia. Another superb cent in this outstanding collection. The
attribution and C. D. Smith-Reynolds provenance are noted on the
PCGS Secure label.
Pop 2; none finer at PCGS for the variety
(PCGS
# 36056)
Estimated Value ..................................................................... $20,000-UP
Discovered in England by Elmer S. Sears in 1922-Henry C. Hines 1944-
Dr. William H. Sheldon 4/19/1972-R. E. Naftzger, Jr., New Netherlands
Coin Co. 11/14/1973:479-Myles Z. Gerson-Jerry A. Bobbe-Jack H.
Beymer 11/27/1975-C. Douglas Smith-Dr. Robert A. Schuman, Mc-
Cawley & Grellman Auctions/Superior 5/25/2003:453-Walter Husak,
Heritage 2/15/2008:2167.