I have read Donald Scarinci's blog on the Washington Before Boston medal. As to die varieties of the medal, no one ever has or ever would challenge the contention that his "F1" was the first variety struck. After all, we have the gold medal at the Boston Public Library and the silver medal at the Massachusetts Historical Society as enduring witnesses. What Donald will find as he furthers his research is that his "F2" and "F2-1", whereas these varieties were brought into production after "F-1", this was not an unbroken progression: there are examples of "F-1" that are from a later obverse die state than most of the "F-2's" and "F-2.1's".

Confusing, yes, but the study by Glenn Mooney that you cite does a pretty good job of sorting it out.

We should also point out that the Error Reverse used on "F-2" was probably ENGRAVED before the reverse on "F-1", given that the BPL owns a set of cliche's with the Error Reverse paired with the "U" reverse (which, because of Jefferson's objection, was never used) and the American Numismatic Society owns a framed set of shells in which the Error Reverse is paired with the obverse in a totally uninjured state. Clearly, Paris Mint employees of the time used these dies in an undisciplined, even whimsical, fashion.

The quality and thoroughness of Mooney's research is fully up to the standard set by Sylvester Sage Crosby; it is a shame that more people have not read his work. His 1976 paper, though obscure, remains the last word on the subject.