One of my favorite early large cents is the 1798 S-158; this is a fairly scarce (R4) variety collected by many for the progressive reverse die breaks up to a dramatic final (terminal?) one! The obverse die was used for S-158 and S-159, reverse used for NC2 and S-158. There are a total of 3 die states listed by Noyes, but Breen gets more distinctive between stages with 6. Both describe state I as having very light reverse cracks; Breen clarifies as having a faint crack through the tops of "UNIT". Images of the NC2 with the dramatic obverse die break; certainly explains the demise of this obverse die and rarity of that variety! Not much going on with the reverse, that die was then used for S-158 when the NC2 obverse die was "retired"! 1798 S-158 early Breen describes the next state II as cracked from the rim to ”T" (UNITED), leaf, leaf tip, through "AT" and to the rim. In state III Breen includes a crack from the single leaf tip to "S" (STATES) and to the rim. State IV shows the 3 parallel obverse cracks, and both states V and VI with the rim break at "IT" broadening to "ITED", and a rim break from the rim to the final "S" of STATES in VI. Both describe the last state with a rim break on "ITED" but neither in my references note a "terminal" state although I have seen that description in other references. My LDS collection example And then there are these also from my collection... All three show the die break from the rim to "T" in UNITED, but the rest has apparently been tooled away, or these are a new unlisted die state... BUT as I have posted in this forum before there are other matching marks to prove these struck counterfeits! This is actually the 3rd variety of counterfeits where die breaks were "removed", maybe thought to make them more "genuine" by the counterfeiters! Best, Jack.
Thank you for the detailed die state breakdown. Now I think I can safely call this Die State IV. And I like the edge shots. This is one that I think would be called a gripped edge if it were on a 1797. Never forget the Third Side of the coin!
Coin Week re-posted my article on this variety at: https://coinweek.com/counterfeits/s...98-s-158-large-cent-1-page-attribution-guide/
