1797 1 Above 1, B-1a, C-1 -- Flip-Over Double Strike -- VF25 PCGS. Our EAC Grade VF20....

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1797 B-1a, C-1 Half Cent, VF25
Flip-Over Double Strike

1797 1 Above 1, B-1a, C-1 -- Flip-Over Double Strike -- VF25 PCGS. Our EAC Grade VF20. Equivalents. Proskey 4: 3-B; Ross 2-B; Gilbert-4; Empire-24; Cohen-1; Breen-1a; Eckberg 1-A.
Obverse 1 is unique to Breen-1. Liberty's head is well centered on this die that has a complete 1 above the final position of that digit in the date. Traces of other digits are also visible on high grade coins. LIBERTY is high above the head and closer to the border. The letters are well spaced. The short, thick pole ends far from the border.
Reverse A appears on Breen-1 and 2. The left branch has 17 leaves and five berries. The right branch has 16 leaves and three berries. Paired berries are below the E in UNITED and the first T in STATES. One outside berry on the right is located below the M in AMERICA. The fraction is closely spaced with the fraction bar nearly joined to the denominator.
Edge. Plain.
Surfaces. Glossy chocolate-brown surfaces are pristine with minimal handling marks. A trivial obverse rim nick is evident at 2:30. Substantial detail from the initial strike remains visible on both sides, including the date and its characteristic 1 over 1 feature that appears to the right of the fraction from the second strike.
Die State. Manley Die State 4.0. A reverse die crack at UNI is in its formative stage. That crack is visible on both sides of this double struck half cent.

Production. Was this piece the result of an accident at the Mint, or was it purposely double struck? Initial observation suggests that a normally struck half cent flipped over in the press and received an accidental second strike. However, the first strike was slightly off center, about 10%, suggesting that this piece was intentionally double struck.
Appearances. Illustrated in the September 2003 American Numismatic Rarities catalog.
Commentary. Double struck 1797 B-1, C-1 half cents are occasionally seen. However, flipover double strikes of this variety are rare. The Davy Collection that offered over 700 half cent errors and related pieces had none.

The "Whoops!" chapter of Walter Breen's Half Cent Encyclopedia (pages 467-484) provides considerable information about half cent error coins. The two Davy Collection catalogs that Goldberg Auctions published in September 2010 and September 2011 provide additional information regarding half cent errors. Otherwise, we are unaware of other detailed studies.
McGuigan Commentary. Attractive glossy dark brown surfaces. Mint error-flipover double strike, the first strike being slightly off-center toward 5:00 with "UNITED TES OF AME" showing on the obverse and the date (1797), "LIB," and pole showing on the reverse. No trace of large cent or Talbot, Allum & Lee (T.A.L.) cent (token) undertype.
Provenance. Ex: Kenneth Bressett (American Numismatic Rarities, 9/2003), lot 115.
Personality. A native of Keene, New Hampshire, Kenneth Bressett was born on October 5, 1928. After attending Dresser Business College, Bressett joined the staff of Sentinal Printing & Publishing Co. where he was employed from 1949 to 1959. He has enjoyed employment in the numismatic arena since 1960, including many years as editor of A Guide Book of United States Coins. He served on the Assay Commission in 1966. Bressett is the author of several numismatic references and has received a number of numismatic awards for his writing. A past president of the American Numismatic Association, Bressett is a member of the ANA Numismatic Hall of Fame. He lives in Colorado Springs and continues to write articles for various numismatic publications.
From The James R. McGuigan Half Cent Collection.

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