NGC Certifies Nippert Family Birch Cent

Numismatic Guaranty Corporation (NGC) has recently certified a 1792 Birch Cent, Judd-4, formerly residing in the Nippert Collection. One of only seven known of this variety, it has been graded VG 10 by NGC. This coin was last offered at public auction by Bowers & Ruddy in February 1979, and it will be sold next month by Mallette & Associates in Cincinnati, OH. Proceeds of the sale will benefit the Greenacres Foundation.

1792 Birch Cent, Judd-4, NGC VG 10 Click images to enlarge.

Named for the presumed engraver whose signature appears on the coin’s obverse, the 1792 Birch Cent is an important pattern coin struck during the foundational period of the US Mint. It is the first copper cent to show a depiction emblematic of Liberty as prescribed by the Mint Act of 1792. Further, this variety, catalogued as Judd-4 in United States Pattern Coins by J. Hewitt Judd, is the first cent coin struck at a weight of 208 grains, mandated by the Act of January 14, 1793. All Chain, Wreath and Liberty Cap Cents, with Lettered Edge, struck from 1793 to 1795 were coined to this standard.

This is the fourth Birch Cent that NGC has certified in the past five years. Approximately 15 Birch Cents of all varieties are known. Birch Cents made national headlines in January of this year when the finest known example of Judd-4, graded NGC MS 65 RB, sold for $2.585 million at auction, the highest price ever paid for a US cent at public sale.

The recently certified Birch Cent was the centerpiece of the Nippert Family’s commingled, multi-generational holdings, which begins with James Gamble (1803-1891), co-founder of Procter & Gamble. Louis Nippert (1903-1992), Gamble’s great-grandson, his wife Louise Dieterle Nippert (1911-2012), and her father, George Dieterle (1883-1968), all contributed items which form the collection now being dispersed.

Although perhaps best known as one-time owner of the Cincinnati Reds, Louis Nippert along with his wife Louise were Cincinnati’s greatest philanthropists, donating hundreds of millions of dollars to local institutions, usually anonymously. Proceeds from the sale of their estate will benefit the Greenacres Foundation, a working farm and education center they established.

“We’re honored to have been selected to certify this classic rarity for Mallette & Associates on behalf of the Greenacres Foundation,” says Scott Schechter, NGC grader and vice president. “Every time a Birch Cent comes into the grading room, the early history of the US Mint comes alive. Despite the relatively heavy circulation this example has seen, it has fantastic metal quality and wonderful visual appeal.”

The Birch Cent, along with over 400 lots of coins and currency, is scheduled to be sold on Saturday, July 25, 2015 by Mallette & Associates at the Greenacres Foundation Arts Center in Cincinnati, OH. NGC has certified more than 200 of the coins being offered. A gallery of highlights from the collection will be posted on NGC’s website in the coming weeks. Mallette & Associates can be contacted directly for information about the sale by phone at 513-984-0400. A catalogue and photographs will be available on their website, www.malletteandassociates.com.