Ok, maybe it's not what you (and we all!) were hoping for, but as you say it is still a nice catch. I think with old copper you can still make a few happy discoveries (cherry-picks as you guys call them) if you have enough patience, perseverance (and luck). A few years ago I spotted this S-124, R5+ Nobody else did and I got it for a very modest amount. A have made a few other cherry picks as well.
Yeah, EACs are fun and large cent listings on Ebay are a goldmine. Maybe some day I’ll start picking Liberty Caps as well. Also half cents might be a good idea, but there aren’t as many varieties. Of course, you need two things: patience and luck. Still on the hunt for a 1796!
And you've also got your Dark Brown Blob; absolutely featureless, with a hole drilled through it, near the rim! You know it's an old coin, but it ain't givin' ya' Nuthin'!
Here's 1796 S-95 R5+ which also might be a gripped edge. What do you think? If all these are indeed Gripped Edges, then it is likely that they were all made nearly the same time, barring a planchet or two being squirreled away after being given their edge in the recesses of a bin to be found as used later. But I suspect the emission sequence to be far more haphazard than the elegant sequence sought by Breen or Sheldon.