| Author |
 Replies: 20 / Views: 1,781 |
Page 2 of 2
|
|
|
|
Pillar of the Community
 United States
5682 Posts |
Agree with @jacrispies that it looks like a strike through at the chin and cheek. It must have been something that was retained on the die. Looks like decent luster with perhaps some grease on the reverse. I'd say AU-53. Here's another example from Heritage. https://coins.ha.com/itm/early-half...ption-071515 |
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
2342 Posts |
|
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
5682 Posts |
 I don't see any strike throughs in those listings at GC. |
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
2023 Posts |
Out of my league but I don't see this getting anywhere near AU with the lack of detail on the reverse (particularly the missing lines on the shield). Did something other than circulation wear cause that?
|
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
6396 Posts |
Obverse dent might be due to a strike-thru event but that could be tough to distinguish from damage. There are also some horizontal scratches across the lower obverse.
The very soft reverse is not normal for these coins which usually have sharp eagle detail at least down to XF grade. Maybe there was grease on the die, or the coin was used in jewelry at some point. Seems to me this example has impaired eye appeal on both sides.
I'll want a Capped Bust half eagle for my type set someday but I would hold out for a problem-free piece. I'll be very interested in how PCGS grades this one.
|
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
5192 Posts |
Looks like someone hit it with a chisel.
|
|
Bedrock of the Community
United States
94367 Posts |
So, Adam (OP), what do you think they will call it?
|
|
Pillar of the Community
 United States
4846 Posts |
This coin has a whole lot going on.
As several pointed out, the obverse flaws are definitely as minted, either by a die defect, or a strike through. I was leaning towards die defect but I could be wrong. The coin that jacrispies found was the first that I found as well with the same defect but I have found others.
This is clearly a very late die state of BD-1, and with that lower striking pressure to preserve the dies, grease, or some other anomaly prevented the reverse form getting fully struck up. This coin is unquestionably AU given the luster, but it's not an attractive example.
Unfortunately though, this coin has had some work done on the reverse above the eagle, it's very hard to tell in these photos, but as you twirl the coin in hand that spot jumps out as "off", and under magnification it's clear that the area was softened and worked over. Whether PCGS notices it or not is another story, but I would expect they do.
I graded the coin AU details, reverse tooled. Had the reverse not had work done I would have given it no better than a 53 due to the diminished eye appeal from the obverse flaw and weak reverse.
Edited by Adam_E
11/09/2024 6:34 pm
|
|
Bedrock of the Community
United States
94367 Posts |
Thanks for that, most interesting.
|
|
Bedrock of the Community
United States
36878 Posts |
|
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
4846 Posts |
Very surprised with a straight grade AU-53 for this coin! If it didn't have the tooling I would have called it a 53 myself.
|
|
Bedrock of the Community
United States
11899 Posts |
Congrats  IN NECESSARIIS UNITAS - IN DUBIIS LIBERTAS - IN OMNIBUS CARITAS THE MAN IN THE ARENA, Theodore Roosevelt at the Sorbonne Paris on April 23, 1910: " It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself in a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat." My coin website: https://fairfaxcoins.com |
|
Bedrock of the Community
United States
94367 Posts |
Congrats are in order! Wouldn't have guessed.
|
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
3848 Posts |
Suffering from bust half fever. Want to learn how to attribute early half dollars by die variety? Click Here: http://goccf.com/t/434955Shoot me a PM if you are looking to sell bust halves. |
|
Bedrock of the Community
United States
18706 Posts |
really interesting piece and comments.
i had it at Mid-AU details. congrats on the straight grade! I'm guessing the call the reverse die deteriation and even grease like you suggested, and the obv marks most likely die related.
i'd have to go with Jaobler though. if I was looking at an individual piece for a type set i'd want a better example.
|
|
Page 2 of 2
|
Replies: 20 / Views: 1,781 |
Page 2 of 2
|
First Page
Posted 11/09/2024 08:52 am
