Posted 09/20/2007 3:11 pm
Five heads in 1839
Head of 1836: Hair buns are tied up with plain cords
Head of 1838: Hair buns tied up with a beaded cord no prominent curl on forehead at base of coronet.
Silly Head: curl on forehead at base of coronet, bottom right point of the bust does not extend past hair curls.
Booby Head: Same as Silly head but on these the bottom right point of the bust DOES extend past the hair curl.
Petite Head or Head of 1840: Head is tipped forward with point of the bust over the 8.
Examples of all of these are easy to come by except the head of 1836. It is also the 1839/6 overdate. (There are a couple of other rare varieties of the Booby head as well, but there are common variety examples available.)
With those explanations a quick identification guide.
Point of bust over 8, Petite head
Plain hair cords, head of 36
Beaded cords, no curl at forehead: Head of 38
Curl at forehead
point of bust not through curls: Silly Head
point of bust through curls: Booby head
Head of 1836: Hair buns are tied up with plain cords
Head of 1838: Hair buns tied up with a beaded cord no prominent curl on forehead at base of coronet.
Silly Head: curl on forehead at base of coronet, bottom right point of the bust does not extend past hair curls.
Booby Head: Same as Silly head but on these the bottom right point of the bust DOES extend past the hair curl.
Petite Head or Head of 1840: Head is tipped forward with point of the bust over the 8.
Examples of all of these are easy to come by except the head of 1836. It is also the 1839/6 overdate. (There are a couple of other rare varieties of the Booby head as well, but there are common variety examples available.)
With those explanations a quick identification guide.
Point of bust over 8, Petite head
Plain hair cords, head of 36
Beaded cords, no curl at forehead: Head of 38
Curl at forehead
point of bust not through curls: Silly Head
point of bust through curls: Booby head
