Heritage to Auction Jules Reiver's Unique 1797 Large Cent (NC-7 B-30) in January

DALLAS, TEXAS: An apparently unique Large Cent, discovered by numismatist Jules Reiver in 1968, will be included among the thousands of fascinating varieties being offered by Heritage Numismatic Auctions at their January 23-28 Signature Auction featuring The Jules Reiver Collection. The Auction is being held at Heritage's world headquarters in Dallas, Texas. The Signature Auction will contain more than 4,000 varieties from Mr. Reiver's collection, with thousands more offered in the accompanying Online Session.

"Since Jules Reiver discovered this previously unknown variety in 1968," noted Senior Cataloger Mark Borckardt, "not a single additional example has come to light - and hundreds of specialists have been searching through thousands of coins. In fact, there has never even been a rumor of another. While there have been many discovery pieces in numismatics over time, they are typically followed by additional examples as numismatists closely examine every possible coin. Even more atypically, Mr. Reiver left us an extremely detailed description of the discovery and his thought process."

"Jules Reiver's collection is, in a word, astonishing," explained Heritage President Greg Rohan. "This consummate numismatist sought varieties when 'experts' didn't often bother, and then convinced a new generation of numismatists why they should care. His level of understanding was supreme, his eye for detail unparalleled, and his willingness to share information extraordinary. And so friendly was he to the community that the name 'Jules' was invoked by numismatists from coast to coast when arguments needed to be settled."

Mr. Reiver's detailed description of his discovery experience appeared in the November 1968 issue of Penny-Wise: "Not too long ago I was attributing a 1797 large cent which grades almost Fine. The date is close. The planchet is dark and reasonably smooth. All of the devices and legends are sharp except 97, the point of the bust, UN of UNITED, and OF. In these areas the dies are obviously clashed or sinking. Evidence of die clashing is plainly seen from the neck to the jaw, in front of the eye, and behind the head. There is a triangular break through the T toward the R in LIBERTY. The R has a straight tail. On the reverse, there are five berries on each side of the wreath. There are stems, the right of which, if extended, would touch the left tip of A and bisect the C; and there is an engraver's mark from the fraction to the right ribbon. A curved break extends from the top serif of the crossbar in the E of AMERICA and passes through the uppermost serif of the E towards the R.

"Looking through the key (Table 12) in Penny Whimsy, I eliminated all varieties for attribution except the S-141. The reverse on my coin, however, did not match the reverse of the S-141. The tip of the leaf under the D reaches only the upright on the S-141, whereas on my coin the tip of the leaf reached the center of the D. So I was back where I started.

"Next, I studied the plate of each reverse very carefully. As I neared the end of the 1797's, I began to doubt my eyes and my ability. Then I came to Rev. S of the S-142. My coin was a perfect match for it, and the written description fit also. I couldn't understand how I had missed it the first time, until I checked the obverse which was not even close. I went back to the reverse and again checked each plate. There was no doubt about it. My coin was Rev. S.

"Now I began to realize that my coins was possibly a new variety. I very carefully checked each obverse of 1797 to see if the obverse of my coin matched an existing one or was a new die. When I came to Obv. 11 of S-133, I knew that it was the right one. I couldn't see a scratch from the B to the rim as on the S-133, but the V-shaped break through the T to the R clinched it. Obv. 11 is matched only with Rev. J, a stemless variety, in Penny Whimsy, and an Obv. 11-Rev. S combination is not mentioned.

"My specimen is evidently a later striking of Obv. 11. There is a heavy die crack from the rim at the level of the bust, to the lowest point of the neck, and then across the bottom of the neck. Another break starts at the rim below the lowest curl, then runs diagonally upward and to the right through the curls and shoulder towards the other break. I believe that these breaks link up and that the smaller section of the die sinks. The 9 of the date is weak, and the 7 is almost gone. The lower tip of the bust is very weak. The reverse is blank at this point, showing that there was insufficient pressure on stamping. Assuming that my coin represents a new variety, the die mating chart for the 1797's will need to be revised.

"My good friend, George Ramont, an expert on attributing large cents, checked the coin for me. I did not give him my conclusions, but let him attribute the coin one side at a time. He came up with the same results. Next, I showed the coin to Walter Breen who agreed with the attribution and entered the specimen in his notes as NC-7, a unique and new variety of 1797."

Mr. Reiver's article was immediately followed by a complete discussion of the new variety by Walter Breen, who also revised the emission order for these coins based on this new discovery.

Borckardt has described the coin as follows: "1797 1C Reverse of 1797, Stems. NC-7, B-30, R.8--Environmental Damage--NCS. VG Details. VG8 EAC. Dark olive surfaces with splashes of steel color at the left obverse. The surfaces have only the faintest corrosion. Die sinking creates the localized weakness at 97 of the date, mentioned by Reiver in his article about this coin. A few tiny areas of bubbly red corrosion are visible on the reverse. Ex: Carl Wattenbarger (8/1968)."

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