1797 Draped Bust Cent. S-121B. Rarity-3-. Reverse of 1795, Gripped Edge. AU-55 (PCGS). CAC.<strong>Type:</strong> Draped Bust.<p><strong>Design:</strong> Obv: A draped bust of Liberty faces right with the word LIBERTY above and the date 1797 below. Libertys hair is tied with a ribbon, the ends of which are plainly evident at the back of the head. Rev: A wreath surrounds the denomination ONE CENT, the base of the wreath bound by a ribbon tied into a bow. The legend UNITED STATES OF AMERICA is around the border and another expression of the denomination 1/100 is below.<p><strong>Weight Standard:</strong> 10.89 grams.<p><strong>Diameter:</strong> 29 mm.<p><strong>Die Variety:</strong> Sheldon-121B, Breen-3b. Obv: Compact date with the letter B in LIBERTY defective and missing its serif at upper left. This obverse also appears in the S-121A attribution, the same die pairing as S-121B, but with a different edge style. Rev: Reverse of 1795 with 18 leaves in the left branch of the wreath, 17 in the right, berries five left and three right. There is a single leaf at the end of each branch at the top of the wreath, with a double leaf cluster on the inside of the wreath at the T in CENT that touches that letter. This reverse also appears in the S-90, S-120A, S-120B, S-121A and 1797 NC-1 varieties.<p>Along with S-120B, S-121B corresponds to the Reverse of 1795, Gripped Edge <em>Guide Book</em> variety of the 1797 Draped Bust cent.<p><strong>Die State:</strong> Noyes C/E, Breen V. Obv: Shattered die with cracks from the border at 9 oclock arcing though the lower hair curls and bust to the base of Libertys neck, from the border at 9 oclock to the ribbon ends, a branch of the latter crack extends up to the border at 10 oclock. Other cracks are seen from the end of the bust to the border at 3 oclock, through the digits 97 in the date to the drapery, and through the letters ERTY in LIBERTY. The die is starting to bulge at the ribbons. Rev: Lightly cracked from the border before the letter U in UNITED, from the border between the ST in STATES and curving through the first letter to the leaves below the letter D in UNITED, faint cracks are also evident from the left bow to the left stem and over the aforementioned D in UNITED. There is a pronounced clash mark in the wreath to the right of the letter E in ONE, light die swell through the letters in UNITED.<p><strong>Edge:</strong> Gripped, with irregularly spaced "gear-toothed" indentations and raised pellets on edge.<p><strong>Mintage:</strong> The mintage of 897,510 coins for the 1797 Draped Bust cent provided in most numismatic references corresponds to the Mints deliveries for this denomination during calendar year 1797. Deliveries took place from February 6 through March 30, then from November 6 through December 13. No cents were delivered between the end of March and the beginning of November due to delays in copper shipments and the yearly yellow fever epidemic in Philadelphia. The February 6 through March 30 deliveries include coins struck from 1796-dated dies, while coinage from 1797-dated dies continued into 1798. As such, the exact mintage of the 1797-dated Draped Bust cent issue cannot be determined.<p><strong>Estimated Surviving Population for the Die Variety:</strong> Rarity-3-: 401 to 500 coins in all grades.<p><strong>Strike:</strong> The strike is expertly centered and well executed on both sides, the borders uniformly denticulated and most major design elements boldly to sharply defined. A touch of softness is noted throughout the left branch in the wreath, attributable to die state (i.e. light die swell through the word UNITED).<p><strong>Surfaces:</strong> Warmly patinated in a blend of autumn-brown and light olive, traces of faded mint color are more prevalent on the reverse. Surfaces are smooth, hard and free of corrosion or other environmental damage. There are only light, wispy marks scattered about, a pair of tiny nicks in the left obverse field above the ribbon ends are useful for provenance purposes.<p><strong>Commentary: </strong>As discussed above in our description for the S-120A Reverse of 1795, Plain Edge cent, the purpose of the Gripped Edge on the S-120B and S-121B varieties is unknown. Due to its unusual nature and ready identification, the Gripped Edge has long been popular with early copper enthusiasts. Although occasionally touted as a rarity in earlier times, upward of 1,500 Gripped Edge coins are now believed extant from the S-120B and S-121B varieties combined. As with virtually all early large cent varieties, most examples are well circulated, and many are impaired. The present example offers superior quality and eye appeal, and is ranked CC#4 for the S-121B attribution in the 2007 Noyes census with an EAC grade of XF40(XF45) Average Plus.PCGS# 1416.PCGS Population (both die marriages of the Reverse of 1795, Gripped Edge variety): 4; 8 finer, five of which are Mint State (MS-65+ BN finest).From the ESM Collection. Earlier ex Tom Reynolds, St. Louis, 2003.
