Posted 01/01/2014 1:11 pm
Nicely done, and a worthy addition to the collection of any Bust Half enthusiast. One resource I always use when attributing Busties is the Heritage Auctions archive - their images are large enough that I can explore all of the minor feature relationships, and they have over 28,000 Bust Half sales on file.
For me, the first step in attribution is the relationship between the T in STATES and the I in PLURIBUS (well, the very first step is acquiring a copy of Overton). Usually, this immediately eliminates 3/4 of the varieties for a given year. Then, obverse star locations if milling is available, or the location and shape of 50C. if not. I also look at the date at this stage.
By then, I'm usually either done, or down to only a couple of possibilities. If either possibility lists "special" characteristics like the lines from the neck here, this is the time to start studying them; if not, I'm at Heritage and looking at the letter & arrow relationships on the reverse.
For me, the first step in attribution is the relationship between the T in STATES and the I in PLURIBUS (well, the very first step is acquiring a copy of Overton). Usually, this immediately eliminates 3/4 of the varieties for a given year. Then, obverse star locations if milling is available, or the location and shape of 50C. if not. I also look at the date at this stage.
By then, I'm usually either done, or down to only a couple of possibilities. If either possibility lists "special" characteristics like the lines from the neck here, this is the time to start studying them; if not, I'm at Heritage and looking at the letter & arrow relationships on the reverse.
