Posted 05/07/2014 5:51 pm
I think that's repunching on the date rather than an overdate. Firstly, there's zero trace any reworking under the final digit "1", which would basically preclude it being a prior year's die, no? Additionally, the fragment visible under the third digit "1" (the decade slot) certainly does not look like remnants of a "0" - it looks like the top of a "1", and of course there wouldn't be any reason to rework that digit if simply changing from 10 to 11.
Beyond that, there's some extraneous matter within the top loop of the "8"... now, that almost looks more like simply extra metal from a distance, so you might think that's possibly what's hanging off that 3rd digit "1" (hard to tell if that's indeed possible from just the pic)? However, note also that there is clear doubling on FER of FERDIN... that to me looks like simple repunching and I think may be the clincher in analyzing the date area.
Moving to the reverse, you certainly have to consider what is going on with the portrait side... Taken alone, however, that could certainly be construed as an overassayer - it's not just extra metal, definitely either a repunching OR an erased old letter. In fact, I'll bet this reverse is exactly what Krause lists as 1811 (no overdate) HJ, H over T. Note they do NOT mention the J being over H... exactly what we see here, nothing being apparent under that "J".
Possibilities:
1) That "H over T" is in reality simply a repunched "H", like the FER on the bust side... misconstrued as H over T due to an assumption.
2. It is in fact exactly as stated, with only the one letter being "redone" (H over T). Why? Maybe some confusion/change in who the assayer combo was going to be? Not sure how likely that is, but...
3) That actually was HJ over TH, as seen on the 8Rs... but all traces of original 2nd letter "H" were obliterated? Again, is that feasible?
To me, the most sensible of those (especially looking at the obverse) is #1.
Beyond that, there's some extraneous matter within the top loop of the "8"... now, that almost looks more like simply extra metal from a distance, so you might think that's possibly what's hanging off that 3rd digit "1" (hard to tell if that's indeed possible from just the pic)? However, note also that there is clear doubling on FER of FERDIN... that to me looks like simple repunching and I think may be the clincher in analyzing the date area.
Moving to the reverse, you certainly have to consider what is going on with the portrait side... Taken alone, however, that could certainly be construed as an overassayer - it's not just extra metal, definitely either a repunching OR an erased old letter. In fact, I'll bet this reverse is exactly what Krause lists as 1811 (no overdate) HJ, H over T. Note they do NOT mention the J being over H... exactly what we see here, nothing being apparent under that "J".
Possibilities:
1) That "H over T" is in reality simply a repunched "H", like the FER on the bust side... misconstrued as H over T due to an assumption.
2. It is in fact exactly as stated, with only the one letter being "redone" (H over T). Why? Maybe some confusion/change in who the assayer combo was going to be? Not sure how likely that is, but...
3) That actually was HJ over TH, as seen on the 8Rs... but all traces of original 2nd letter "H" were obliterated? Again, is that feasible?
To me, the most sensible of those (especially looking at the obverse) is #1.
