1846 Tall Date Half Dollar? TPG Got It Wrong!

Good eye, I'll take your word for it!

Looks like a medium date to me.

I got the info from USA Coin site but I now think that may not be accurate. I looked at PCGS Coin Facts that better backs up what you have described! I love learning things like this... PCGS Coin Facts image is below..



Great topic!

I call Medium Date from the thickness of the 1 and the shape of the neck on the 6.

Following the line on the 4 to the drapery (srs77's post) doesn't work for me -- on the PCGS image, both medium and tall dates point to the same place.

The key feature to look at is the crosslet of the 4 and the right foot. On the medium date they touch each other while on the tall date they are well separated. Trying to use where the edge of the 4 points to the drapery or where the 1 lines up withthe lines of the shiled will work but you have to compare all fifteen obv dies. Since the date logos were punched by hand the position varies on each die, but there are only the two logotypes so the crosslet/foot connection makes for an easier identification. The NGC coin referenced in the OP is a medium date

But...but...but it was closely scrutinized by not one, but THREE, "professional" graders before being slabbed.



Yes - obviously an error - compare the looks of the top of the 6 as well as the crosslet of the 4.

Seriously - how can three paid coin experts miss something like this if the level of scrutiny allegedly spent on each coin is as rigid and non-rushed as claimed? Even if this coin was submitted, with more money being paid to label it as a large date, how did the three "experts" miss it it being a medium date?

Is it too much to expect the "experts" to be familiar with the major date variations of each series...considering they are going to label it as one of the varieties?

I see this kind of error also happens (not rarely) with slabbed 1982 no FG Kennedy halves also. A half from the dies where there was no FG engraved also is lacking the serifs on the base of the 1 in the date. Yet its not hard to find slabbed 1982 halves listed as No FG that have serifs on the 1's base and a polished off (yet visible!) FG!

Is it the extra labeling fee talking when the grading starts? Or do the (not one, but) three paid experts really al miss the error?


Buy the coin and not the slab