Crosby, Sylvester Sage. THE UNITED STATES COINAGE OF 1793. CENTS AND HALF CENTS. DESCRIPTIONS OF THE VARIOUS DIES BEARING THAT DATE, WITH NOTES ON THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE MINT. Boston: Published by the Author, 1897 ["Reprinted from 'The American Journal of Numismatics' with Some Additions"]. Small 4to, contemporary brown cloth, gilt. 36 pages; 3 plates of coins, the first bound as a frontispiece. Hinges cracked, with first and last pages coming loose. Good to very good. One of only 200 copies printed. Notoriously difficult to find in nice condition. This standard work is essentially a second edition of the monograph written by Crosby in collaboration with Joseph N.T. Levick that originally appeared in the April 1869 issue of the American Journal of Numismatics. In a series of four AJN articles appearing in 1896 and 1897, Crosby presented the results of his research in the intervening quarter century. Later in 1897, this edition of 200 copies reprinted with additions was separately issued. Sheldon thought highly of the work, noting: "Crosby's book was so accurate and complete that in the half century since its publication no further varieties of 1793 have been found." The photocopied letter from Crosby to Levick is very interesting. It reads: "It is a long time since we had a little correspondence relating to the 'Cents of 1793,' and I have now taken the matter up for a second time, to make whatever additions the nearly thirty years since then have added to the list. I intend also to add descriptions of the half cents, of the same year. Can you give me any assistance in it? I find as yet but two obv. and 3 rev. dies of the half cent, and have no idea how many others there may be. Please see what you can do for me." He adds as a postscript: "Can you tell me where the 'clover-leaf' cents are? Dr Hall of Boston has one, but I don't know where the other two are." Ex H.A. Sternberg, with his signature; ex William H. Sheldon; ex John W. Adams; ex Jim Neiswinter Library.