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While certainly intriguing to me from a numismatic perspective, I'm not sure if it was a shrewd financial pickup. I have no idea on whether there is a premium on rare die states, or how much if there is.

As for the die chip, I think it has to keep the ? mark until another is found like it. As Condor said, it could be corrosion on a coin in this condition.

 

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Another of the Four arrived this morning. (Postal delivery is suddenly wacky. Not delivering at normal times and delivering SOME at unusual times like Sunday or 7AM.

This is not a rare variety, but a rarer type. I include the scale because I believe it is about a mm oversized.

 

Hope it came cheap, even as a rarer type a holed and plugged S-155 isn't going to be worth much. The oversize doesn't impress me too much. Open collar coins can vary quite a bit in size.

 

$34 with free shipping. Probably about what it's worth. But I'm paying a premium for rare die states, whether I should or not.

 

I'm posting this with great sadness. I had just finished attributing this and was about to buy it now, and it was sold while I was attributing it. But it's the kind I keep looking for. I hope it was purchased by someone here.

 

My S-99 arrived today and these are my new pictures. I added a reverse photo to show the rotation of about 45 degrees. You might note the similarity and the difference from the coin that just got away shown above.

 

RIP. What was the attribution?

 

1796 NC-4.

I initially thought it was another S-99. I often find varieties in pairs and I thought it had happened again. But it actually sold as I was about to make an offer. I asked him to have the new owner contact me if he was just flipping it.

 

Sorry to hear that, Marshall.
If it is any consolation, with your perseverance and expertise I am sure you will find another one, or at least something as exciting before long.

 

After reading Breen, he believed the S-216 used the same obverse AFTER being used on the S-221 and After being drastically reground causing loss of substantial Hair detail. He speculated that an earlier die state of S-216 might be out there before the obverse was reground.

I will show a comp from an S-216 along with my coin and then a comp for the Reverse of S-221 and my coin.

I believe I have the opposite die state from what Breen speculated about and that is a LATER die state of S-221 after the obverse has been reground. Please note that after regrinding, the obverse shows little, if any, detail above LIBERTY and may have been misaligned (not axially) shifting Liberty closer to the top of the planchet.


COMPARISON COIN



The Reverse attribution is solid, but the obverse appears to have all the reground bald spots of the S-216 after regrinding.

As a working hypothesis, any comments or suggestions will be appreciated.

 

This is indeed a scuzzy find, but the price is right.

I'll let anyone interested try to attribute it first and I'll follow up later.

Seller's images:


Hints - Narrow spacing of date on the obverse and couched E. Reverse of 95(96) with a triplet left of C(E).

 

Another scuzzy pickup of a common variety S-241. But I think this might be a new later die state VI:

SUBJECT Obverse


COMPARISON V Obverse from Heritage Archives

Nothing much to see on the obverse, but it's consistent with the attribution.

SUBJECT Reverse

COMPARISON V from Heritage Archives


Both CUDs at (O)F and to the right and the one over TATE are evident.

It appears the reverse was double struck about three quarters of a letter height lower than the initial strike mostly evident above the second STATES OF.

The reason I believe it may be a new die state is the apparent CUD which has formed from the top right leaf past the bottom of the Ghost S to just right of the Top serif of (E)S where it forks back to the rim above that serif. Another branch continues along the original path to the rim right of the Serif. It is more pronounced with the doubling in that area.

The Comparison image shows weakness or a die break along that same path and both branches, but is not yet a CUD

It may also show a CUD from the top of (E)D through S, middle of T, Top of T to the rim above T. It's hard to exclude PMD before seeing it in the copper.

 

@Marshall This lot of 1798 large cents showed up on Facebook. Anything you want for your collection? (Seller is asking on the order of $150 for the lot).

 

S-176 R4 S-157 R2
S-184 R2- S-166 R1

Oddly enough, I don't have any of these, but I usually only get below 4+ rarities by accident or rare or terminal die state. I would not go over $50 for the lot in their condition.

 

It arrived this evening and in hand, the last possible CUD mentioned appears to be more like die buckling than a CUD. It appears to be on a slightly different plane.

 

Well it (S-251 V) finally made it in from Germany. It definitely has a weak date though the LIBERTY has plenty of depth.
The reverse shows the crack of State V, but the core breaks of IV are weak to say the least. Breen mentions one ANS Chapman 5b-1c as not having the State IV cracks in the remarks section. Perhaps this is similar.

 

If it's a 1794 penny, shouldn't it display the Liberty Cap on the obverse?

 

It does. It is just mostly worn away

 

It might show evidence of axial misalignment with the Bottom Obverse and Top Reverse being stronger than the opposite counterparts or it might be from the shattering of the reverse die in the Latest state.