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 Replies: 14 / Views: 1,558 |
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Pillar of the Community
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3848 Posts |
Since coinfiend shared his cherrypick of the 1840 medium letters variety, I kept my eyes peeled. Well, it didn't take long because the next 1840 half I saw was an unattributed medium letters variety. I find the connection to the bust series, and the fact that it is a New Orleans minted coin with no mintmark fascinating. Super cool! I really would like to keep it, as it will fit well with my bust half collection as a cool addition. But I can't afford to keep it  Thanks to coinfiend and everyone else for sharing their experiences. Knowledge is power!    Suffering from bust half fever. Want to learn how to attribute early half dollars by die variety? Click Here: http://goccf.com/t/434955Shoot me a PM if you are looking to sell bust halves. Edited by jacrispies
12/08/2021 02:40 am
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
94367 Posts |
Not being a collector of this series, I'm curious - how do you know this is a New Orleans coin?
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Pillar of the Community
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3848 Posts |
The medium letters variety has the reverse of the 1838 Capped Bust half dollar. They found this die and used it at the New Orleans mint, although having the reverse not bearing a mintmark. This variety is recognized in the RedBook and greysheet. Suffering from bust half fever. Want to learn how to attribute early half dollars by die variety? Click Here: http://goccf.com/t/434955Shoot me a PM if you are looking to sell bust halves. |
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Bedrock of the Community
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94367 Posts |
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Moderator
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187582 Posts |
Very interesting!  |
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Pillar of the Community
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2280 Posts |
Kool variety, what kind of premium do these bring?
You realize when you know how to think, it empowers you far beyond those who know only what to think.
-Neil deGrasse Tyson
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
11880 Posts |
Nice pick IN NECESSARIIS UNITAS - IN DUBIIS LIBERTAS - IN OMNIBUS CARITAS THE MAN IN THE ARENA, Theodore Roosevelt at the Sorbonne Paris on April 23, 1910: " It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself in a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat." My coin website: https://fairfaxcoins.com |
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Pillar of the Community
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1272 Posts |
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Pillar of the Community
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3848 Posts |
Quote:
Kool variety, what kind of premium do these bring? According to the October 2021 issue Greysheet, a medium letters G-4 is listed as $225, as opposed to the more common 1840 and 1840-O listed as $60 and $45 respectively. It definitely brings a notable premium, and a worthwhile variety to learn. Suffering from bust half fever. Want to learn how to attribute early half dollars by die variety? Click Here: http://goccf.com/t/434955Shoot me a PM if you are looking to sell bust halves. |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
17884 Posts |
It's definitely a Medium letters rev, but I can't match the die cracks to any of the New Orleans Capped Bust dies. (There are only three dies.) The only one that comes close is the one from the M to the right wing which is similar to the die used for the 1838 O and the 1839 O GR-1 variety. But it appears to meet the wing in a slightly different place. This coin shows a clear crack running up through the F in HALF into the eagle and a strong crack through A3 to the right wing but I can't find either of those mentioned on the 38 O and 39 O varieties. There also appears to be a crack through ICA which is also not mentioned on the capped bust pieces. The 38 and 39 O GR-1 has a crack through ERIC but it is in a different location. It would be interesting to compare this piece with other 1839 O and 1840 Medium Letter coins on Heritage and see if the reverse die could be matched up. The high grade coin pictured for the Medium Letter variety in my 2014 RedBook appears to have the same crack at the M and the F, but not the crack at A. (But the quality of the image may be the reason.) |
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Pillar of the Community
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823 Posts |
There are actually 2 different die marriages for this 1840 (O) half, WB-4 (R3) and the rarer WB-12 (R6). Both marriages have the same reverse die but different obverses. Bust style reverse. Long thought to be a product of the Philadelphia mint, this die marriage was actually minted at New Orleans using a carried over bust reverse die from 1839 where the mintmark was on the obverse of the coin. Among the differences on this die, the legend and denomination are larger (termed medium letters), the eagle and reverse shield are larger, the eagle's claws are open, the olive leaves and arrowheads are more spread than the "seated style."   |
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Pillar of the Community
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3848 Posts |
Thanks Conder101 and Heymikep. This looks like the WB-4 comparing the date fonts and locations. And it sounds like there was one reverse die used. The reverse was used on the philly 1838 bust halves, and reused in New Orleans on the 1840 Seated halves. Suffering from bust half fever. Want to learn how to attribute early half dollars by die variety? Click Here: http://goccf.com/t/434955Shoot me a PM if you are looking to sell bust halves. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
823 Posts |
jacrispies, Yes it is a WB-4.
The reverse die is actually from New Orleans but the thought process was that since this coin did not have a mintmark on the reverse that it came from the Philadelphia mint. In actuality the dies were tied to the New Orleans mint from the 1838 dies used there previously.
Edited by Heymikep
12/09/2021 2:05 pm
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Pillar of the Community
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4415 Posts |
Interesting thread, this!
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Pillar of the Community
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3848 Posts |
Thanks for the clarification!
Suffering from bust half fever. Want to learn how to attribute early half dollars by die variety? Click Here: http://goccf.com/t/434955Shoot me a PM if you are looking to sell bust halves. |
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Replies: 14 / Views: 1,558 |
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Posted 12/08/2021 10:26 am
