1800 Lm-5 Half Dime: A New Die Marriage

Loved the story !

today was a bit of a bittersweet day. I mailed my Half Dime off to be sold. I have some fun stuff to add here though.

i did a display at my local show earlier this month. I decided to keep it simple and let the article written by PCGS do the talking. I received a really nice plaque for my efforts.


that display was very different from the first display I did on the coin back in 2005. with the 2005 display I was trying to convince others of the validity of my claim. with the 2022 display the convincing had been done. here is the backing for the 2005 display.


this thing was entirely hand lettered on a piece of vellum. took me forever to make.

i cant find the photos I used originally. I had to send the coin off to get pictures taken. coin photography was in a very different place in 2005. the pictures were shot on film by a gentleman named Tom Mulvaney.

the diagrams would be better with the photos, but this is how you attribute the variety.

this is my national coin week award that I won for the display. its not the only award ive earned from this process but its the one with the most unique imagery. its large. ~3 inches across.


here is the coin in hand

and here is me holding the coin

Great story and history behind this one, thanks for sharing! Sounds like a bit of a bittersweet ending. If I were in your position, it would probably be pretty tough for me to let it go. That said, hopefully it winds up in the hands of someone who will appreciate it! Best of luck with the auction, look forward to seeing the results.

I think you should go. Perhaps you will be able to shake the hand of the winner and they will express some appreciation for you and your work. This may give you some closure and satisfaction knowing the new owner will appreciate it as you have. I am sort of an optimist, so your mileage may vary.

Not a bad trait at all.

legendary

the auction is live now. the lot can be seen here: https://auctions.stacksbowers.com/l...s-holed-PCGS

here is the description:
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LOT DESCRIPTION
Unique 1800 LM-5 Half Dime

Newly Discovered Die Variety

First Ever Auction Appearance

1800 Draped Bust Half Dime. LM-5. Unique. LIBEKTY. AG Details--Holed (PCGS).

Stack's Bowers Galleries is pleased to present the unique 1800 LM-5 Half Dime - the first new die pairing discovered in the Draped Bust, Heraldic Eagle Half Dime series in nearly three decades. This important discovery was the subject of an article entitled "PCGS Grades New 1800 Draped Bust Half Dime Variety" by Dylan Dominguez and Edward Van Orden, and published October 13, 2022, at coinweek.com. The authors describe the new die pairing and the significance:

A previously unknown die marriage of the 1800 Draped Bust, Heraldic Eagle Half Dime was recently submitted to PCGS for grading. Newly designated as Logan McCloskey-5 (LM-5) with 'Obverse 3' and 'Reverse C', it becomes the 12th-known die marriage in the series (1800-1803, 1805) and the first new die marriage discovered in almost 30 years. It also represents the only unique coin by die marriage within the entire Bust Half Dime series, surpassing in rarity the 1800 LM-4 (two to three known); the 1801 LM-1 (five known, most with problems); the 1833 LM-5 (seven known); and even the famous 1802 (35-40 known), which shares the same reverse!

Prior to this discovery, the workhorse Reverse C was known in the 1801 LM-1, LM-2, 1802 LM-1, 1803 LM-1 and LM-2 pairings, but not with an 1800-dated obverse. Given that the reverse is in its early state in this pairing, before formation of a border break above the letter E in UNITED, Dominguez and Van Orden conclude that "the 1800 LM-5 demonstrates...a natural progression wherein 'Reverse B' likely failed late in 1800 and was replaced with 'Reverse C' to strike additional 1800-dated coins before going on to strike the first 1801 Half Dimes." Since the variety eluded researchers for more than two centuries, it is likely that very few coins were struck from the 1800 LM-5 pairing.

Original warm, even steel-gray patina is pleasing. The coin is well worn with many design elements lost to circulation, but key features remain to confirm both Obverse 3 and Reverse C. On the obverse, all four digits in the date are discernible with patience, the final 0 clearest, and its wide spacing relative to the first 0 confirms Obverse 3. Approximately 50% of Liberty's portrait is outlined, and most of the stars along the right border are discernible. The reverse shows somewhat more detail overall, the positioning of the nearest leaves to the letters IC in AMERICA discernible to confirm the Reverse C attribution. The PCGS qualifier concerns an irregular, ragged hole through the obverse at the top of Liberty's head, reverse in the area of the lower right corner of the shield. Inspection with a loupe reveals myriad marks and faint pin scratches that are not out of place on an early U.S. Mint silver coin that saw this extensive circulation.

While far from a perfect coin, this fact should be of little concern to early Half Dime variety specialists. The collector seeking to complete a die variety set of Half Dimes, 1792 to 1837, simply must acquire this coin. Its unique status guarantees that only a single complete die variety set of this series can exist at a time. The strongest bids are urged, for once this piece sells, it could be decades before another collector has the opportunity to acquire the unique 1800 LM-5 Half Dime.


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i think its a really nice description with one exception. they didnt mention me as the discoverer of the coin despite that being a specific request of mine when the item was consigned. I guess I should have made that a requirement of the contract rather than depending on a verbal agreement.