1881 SSN Large Cent -Finally Found One!!

Well, since everyone is swimming in 1881 Single Serif Ns, I would be happy to give one of them a good home

Well CV, a dealer in Edmonton bought the one shown here... you just have to track down which one!!

It's a rare coin. It's on my list. I will eventually find one. And it will happen when least expected. I always get a kick out of how things happen. There is something out there that greatly enjoys our amusement.

I don't think so. The N in Regina shows that they tried to repunch the N to make it full, but didn't hit it with the hammer hard enough. Do you see anything on the right side of the N serif in Canada? I must have bought 3-4 1881's 10-15 years ago at various times, thinking that I had found another, but they were like yours .. just a crappy repunch. Since the 1881 single serif was struck from an 1876 die, there should be no indication whatsoever on the right side of the N serif. The 1876 dies were made/contructed with a single serif ..it didn't just break off.

The 1876 Obv 1 dies had only 1/2 of a serif on the left lower sides of the N's in Canada and Regina. All Obv 1 dies for whatever year have full serifs including the right side. The single serif 1881 that you are looking and wishing for is not in your coin. You have a full left-part on the left serif on the bottom, but a small, weakly struck indication of the right side of the left bottom serif. It is not a SSN. The workers with the hammer and the "N" punch (or just a straight across serif section)either didn't hit it strong enough, or had it at an angle so it punched the already punched left side of the lower left serif much more than the right. You have a VG heavily corroded OBV 1 1881 that might not even make it into the $1 junk bin. Take a close look at the right side of the lower left serif in Regina... it's been attempted to be corrected full-serif N, changing the 1876 die into a normal Obv 1.

Mcshilling, can you supply better picture's of this coin?

Cheers, Bill

Well, I still think that his initial photos clearly show a weak right foot on the N in Regina. Terry, yours that brightens it up seems to blank it out .. it doesn't even look like the same coin. I've seen lots of '81's with really weak right side serifs on the N's that I could have sworn were SSN's on ebay .. but, in hand, the right side is there and weak.

McShilling, take a toothbrush, put several drops of vegetable oil on the cent and clean it up, and try the close-up photos again.