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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Jack D. Young, post: 8059210, member: 93371&quot;]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!</p><p><br /></p><p>The obverse die was used for S-158 and S-159, reverse used for NC2 and S-158.</p><p><br /></p><p>There are a total of 3 die states listed by Noyes, but Breen gets more distinctive between stages with 6.</p><p><br /></p><p>Both describe state I as having very light reverse cracks; Breen clarifies as having a faint crack through the tops of &quot;UNIT&quot;.</p><p><br /></p><p>Images of the NC2 with the dramatic obverse die break; certainly explains the demise of this obverse die and rarity of that variety!</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1396884[/ATTACH]</p><p>&nbsp;[ATTACH=full]1396888[/ATTACH] </p><p>Not much going on with the reverse, that die was then used for S-158 when the NC2 obverse die was &quot;retired&quot;!</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1396895[/ATTACH] </p><p>&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; </p><p style="text-align: center">1798 S-158 early</p><p><br /></p><p>Breen describes the next state II as cracked from the rim to ”T&quot; (UNITED), leaf, leaf tip, through &quot;AT&quot; and to the rim.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1396897[/ATTACH] </p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><br /></p><p>In state III Breen includes a crack from the single leaf tip to &quot;S&quot; (STATES) and to the rim.</p><p><br /></p><p>State IV shows the 3 parallel obverse cracks, and both states V and VI with the rim break at &quot;IT&quot; broadening to &quot;ITED&quot;, and a rim break from the rim to the final &quot;S&quot; of STATES in VI.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1396898[/ATTACH]</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><br /></p><p>Both describe the last state with a rim break on &quot;ITED&quot; but neither in my references note a &quot;terminal&quot; state although I have seen that description in other references.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1396899[/ATTACH] </p><p style="text-align: center">My LDS collection example</p> <p style="text-align: center"><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>And then there are these also from my collection...</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1396900[/ATTACH] </p><p>[ATTACH=full]1396901[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1396902[/ATTACH] </p><p>All three show the die break from the rim to &quot;T&quot; in UNITED, but the rest has apparently been tooled away, or these are a new unlisted die state...</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1396903[/ATTACH] </p><p>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 &quot;removed&quot;, maybe thought to make them more &quot;genuine&quot; by the counterfeiters<img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie8" alt=":D" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" />!</p><p><br /></p><p>Best, Jack.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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