1826 Over Lazy 6 Half Cent - Variety/Grade Ck

mdpmedia great post and nice coin! Your coin is indeed a C-2. The tell tale signs are all present. The presence of the horizontal 6 that was effaced and repunched with a correct vertical 6 is visible at the base of the 6 sticking out to the right. Also, on the reverse, the tip of the leaf under the last S in STATES does not go beyond the S, confirming C-2. As for the mark above the LI in LIBERTY that looks like a hit to me that flattened out that area. I can't tell from your photos on the color and condition of the surfaces, but as for a TPG grade this has XF details. My EAC grade would be sharpness of 30 net 20 for the ding on LIB.

Also note that the date on my coin is impaired. It was likely struck through something and/or hit to create a flattened look.

Unresolved Issues:
1) I am 100% certain that the issue with the I in liberty is either 1) post mint damage from a huge hit or 2) struck through foreign object. There is zero possibility of it being some kind of die error or different die, as everything else about the die lines up with what is known about this variety, including a repunched star 13 and aforementioned horizontal 6. Also, using LIBERTY to grade classic head Half Cents is not a great way of grading them. LIBERTY shows up in full almost down to G grades. The high points are the lowest hair curls and the hair above liberty. I'm seeing wear consistent with TPG XF. But I'm also seeing an XF details coin (my opinion).

2) That flattened area can be from a hit making the 2 look like it was recut or some such. It is absolutely not some kind of yet to be discovered anomaly. Why can I say that? Because your coin is die state 2 or 3 (I can't tell with any certainty from your photos), the later die state 4 of the obverse is known to have a two star rim break ( Cud) through stars 4 and 5. If it was something new, it almost certainly would have been observed by now, least of all in the die state 4 coins known and reviewed for reference literature. Ronald Manley has an excellent book on Half Cent die states that will cover this. For comparison just look at my 1826 C-2 (posted in the Half Cents days of thread). The date is way messed up compared to what a regular one would be, but it is not some rare die state, its just a poorly struck up date.

If you want opinions on whether or not to send this in, you are going to need better photos showing the color and surfaces. I'm leaning towards don't send it in, but I must impress upon you that this coin is EXCELLENT and a rare variety. I would proudly keep it in my collection.