THE UNITED STATES CENTS OF THE YEARS 1801–1802–1803

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The One Hundred Greatest Items Of United States Numismatic Literature Rank: Number 94

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Davis 142, Sigler 1868

The annual ANA convention is always a good platform for a book launch, and so Newcomb debuted this effort at the 1925 event in Detroit. The Numismatist took care to point out that halftones were eschewed in favor of photographic plates, and that Newcomb had identified thirty per cent more varieties than were previously known for these three dates. The work was further characterized as a labor of love and a “loss leader,” the author losing money on every copy sold. While a valiant effort, Newcomb stopped short. “If sufficient interest is shown… he may be induced to take up the die varieties of other dates in the cent series,” wrote The Numismatist, and so the crown of the early large cent kingdom was left upon the shelf for Mr. Sheldon to claim some years later.

1^st Edition

NEWCOMB, Howard R. THE UNITED STATES CENTS OF THE YEARS 1801–1802–1803.
Detroit: 1925
85pp, 5 Photographic plates, tissue guards
Quarto: 31 x 24 cm
Hardbound: Brown cloth, lettered in gilt

Erratum slip, cardboard cent gauge attached to green silk marker, limited to 100 copies.

1^st Edition, Deluxe

NEWCOMB, Howard R. THE UNITED STATES CENTS OF THE YEARS 1801–1802–1803.
Detroit: 1925
85pp, 5 Photographic plates, tissue guards
Quarto: 31 x 24.5 cm
Hardbound: Full black morocco, lettered in gilt

Erratum slip, cardboard cent gauge attached to green silk marker, limited to 10 copies.

January 1928 Supplement

Photographic Supplement: 1803 - No. 24
1 pp, 25.5 x 20.5 cm

Available as two different issues. Preferred issue is #2, which has a sharper image.^[1]

October 1928 Supplement

Photographic Supplement: 1801 - No. 13
1 pp, 23.5 x 19 cm

July 1931 Supplement

Photographic Supplement: 1801 - No. 13 & No. 14
1 pp, 25 x 20 cm

References

1. ↑ Charles Davis, American Numismatic Literature. An Annotated Survey Of Auction Sales, Quarterman, 1992.