Can you tell the year from the Reverse?

At first I thought the same thing and I tried to manipulate the image many different ways only to "think" that I saw that.

Would you recommend sending it in to NGC with the hopes it might be the NC-5 or have I fallen into the same category as many others that believe they may have found a needle in a haystack?

 

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Another candidate has just taken the lead. I've added diagnostics to your High Res and show the comp side by side.


The key new diagnostic points I'm seeing are the Berry stem left of the left ribbon loop, the shape of the wreath vine at the inner leaf at (ON)E and the M and E just touching.

This reverse is used on S-204 and S-205. It is possible that what looks like the 7 on the enhancement of the obverse is damage to the upper left of an 8.

Just look carefully at this comp to see if it looks right for the reverse die. If so, perhaps a similar High Res photo of the obverse can identify the obverse die.

 

First look at my newest post.

Then, if we think we've found something, there are much better ways of seeking verification than a third party grader. They are notoriously bad at the attribution of early date large cents.

 

10-4 ... I will get you high res scans of the obverse this evening. Thanks again!

 

I think more pixels are in order to see the detail in the diagnostics:

 

For what it's worth, I am of the opinion that Reverse F of the S-195 and the Reverse P of the S-204 and S-205 are actually the same reverse with subtle differences caused by wear and strike issues.

It is a similar situation to the S-30/S-31 Obverses that Sheldon and other early collectors called two dies and Breen called one die drastically reground.

In any event, three obverses will be targets for identification. The larger berry at (CEN)T would indicate an earlier use of the reverse die. The emission sequence, I believe, is S-204, S-205 and then S-195 since I have seen examples of the smaller berry (used as a diagnostic on the S-195) on a S-205.

 

@Marshall Here are five images with as high as res as I can get on my scanner. The first is as-is and the other four I played around with the contrast and brightness to see if I could get more details.

 

I'm sorry. There's just not enough there to attribute it. If I HAD TO choose, I'd probably go with S-204 because of an impression that the LIBERTY is up against the edge. But I really can't see any individual letter to validate the impression. I feel fairly safe in it not being the S-195 because of the reverse die state.

 

Worth a shot. Thank you for working through this puzzle with me!

 

My pleasure.