1822 Capped Bust Half

The R3 stand for it's rarity.

The rarity scale is R-1 to R-8, with R-1 being common and R-8 being unique. Your R-3 is scarce. According to Overton the 1822 O-103 is considered R-5. The O-103 is the variety # for this coins year, 1822 has 15 different varieties. If you can post a picture of your come, we should be able to confirm the variety.

O-114 is rated at R-3, the pictures a too small to be able to see any of the details of this variety. From what I can see I would grade it at VF-20 maybe 25.

Thanks for the info. I am very happy with the 1822, it's my first Capped Bust.

So what makes a O-114 a O-114? Is there something on the coin that sets it apart from the other Overton varietys?

As mentioned R-3 is the rarity. An R-3 means there are from 201 to 600 pieces estimated to still exist. The Sheldon Rarity Scale runs as follows

R-8 1 - 3 Known Near unique
R-7 4 - 12 known Extremely Rare
R-6 13 - 30 Known Very Rare
R-5 31 - 75 Known Rare
R-4 76 - 200 Estimated Scarce
R-3 201 - 600 Estimated Not so Common
R-2 601 - 1500 Estimated Common
R-1 Over 1500 Very Common

As to what makes your coin an O-114, every die back then was hand produced by hubbing in the central device and then hand punching all the letters, numbers, and stars into the die. The different dies are identified by examining the differing positioning of the various features compared to each other and the pairing of the different die make up the differeent varieties. The 1822 there are 14 different obv dies and 14 different rev dies mated into 15 different pairings (Rev B comes paired with two different obv and Obv 12 comes paired with two different rev.) If you look at the seventh star on the obv (stars are numbered from bottom left as 1 clockwise around to 13 at bottom right) it should point at the front edge of the cap where it joins the headband. There are 7 obv like this. On O-103, 111, and 115 the star point is well away from the cap. On 108 and 109 it is touching or imbedded in the cap. That leaves 107 and 114. Hold the coin so the fist 2 in the date is upright. On 107 the left edge of the hair curl is right of center of the 2. On 114 the left edge of the hair curl is just right of the left edge of the SECOND 2 in the date. That obv only comes with Rev M. On Rev M if you hold the C in 50 C upright the end of the stem above it comes even with the inside left edge of the C. All other rev dies have the stem further to the left.

OK, now I've looked at the image and it is NOT an O-114. The curl over the date matches 107 not 114. So lets look at the Rev (something I usually do first.) On the rev one thing I like to look at is the position of the I in PLURIBUS below the T. On your coin it is centered below the left foot. That matches rev A, C, F, G, J, K, and M. Then I look at the E below the D in UNITED. On yours it is centered below the left edge of the upright of the D. That eliminates A, and G. Next I look at the left upright of the second M in UNUM. On your it looks like it is to the left of the center of the right foot of the A. That matches C and J. Hmmm elimination of F got rid of O-107. Rev C comes with Obv 4 (O-104)on which star 7 does not point at the junction of the cap and headband. So much for that one. That leaves Rev J which comes with Obv 11 (O-111)and there is nice separation between the star point and the cap, and the position of the curl over the 2 fits as well. I'd say you have an O-111 an R-2 coin.

BTW, one more question. Should I leave the coin in the plastic flip or put it in a 2X2? I thought I read somewhere on this forum that plastic was not good for coins.

I hear you afcop13, I think about the same things. That is one of the most interesting things about this hobby.
"Where has this coin been, and who has held it"

Thanks to all for the info about this coin. As soon as I saw it I knew that I was going to buy it. There was a few more Bust's available but they look cleaned to me and when I asked the sellers about that they said that they did not clean them, but that they looked cleaned to them also. One guy told me that most coins around that time period were lightly cleaned. I don't know about that. I am getting ready to put it in a 2X2.