Half Moon Over Pensacola

A great hard to fine coin, congratulations. I know you liquidated your walker set to put your efforts in this set. It looks like it's paying off with only two more to go.

Just got the dimes, glad I could help. Don't worry about them, they've gone to a loving home!

On your last Muddler, I waxed philosophical with Moe and a few others and we all agreed that we can't collect everything. Better to concentrate on a few really great sets than try to cover the spectrum. I had started out going after everything but now I'm pulling back. Being pragmatic about it, when I bite the big one, it will be much easier for my kids/grandkids to deal with a few sets rather than some of everything. That's my story Your Honor and I'm sticking to it!

p.s. I'm having a really hard time considering putting the SLQ's on the block. It is a really beautiful set. (sigh...)

Wow indeed PG ... Outstanding coin!

Much better in your photos than the prior scans ... there is some weakness in the obverse strike (note the planchet marks on Neptune) ... I have never personally seen a fully well struck Hudson and your coin exhibits the typical weakness on Neptune and the rigging of the good ship Half Moon on the reverse.

That said ... I am going with MS64 on this one ... perhaps even MS65 .... indeed worthy of a TPG grade and a wonderful addition to your set.

I truly enjoy Chester Beach design for the Hudson half dollar ... IMHO the funkiest design ever executed as a USA coin ...

C'mon ... the obverse shows Neptune riding a whale (backwards indeed) while a mermaid blows on a conch shell ... and the reverse contains one of the best USA coin fun facts ... Mr. Beach chose to memorialize the good ship Half Moon with his funky quarter moon hanging in the sky above the ships bow.

I've often pondered as well the stern sail on the Half Moon as struck on the reverse ... appears to me to be a whale tail ... and just wondering if Chester Beach was having some fun with all of us ... notice how the obverse whale has no tail ... but when you flip the coin over the 'tail' is somehow (with some imagination) incorporated into the stern of the ship.

I suspect Chester Beach is still laughing at getting away with such an amazing and funky design.

Could go on with the history of Henry Hudson ... castaway with his sons on his second trip to the region and never heard from again ...

But the focus here is your lovely coin ... a great addition indeed to your growing set and one of my absolute favorite USA coin designs.

Hoping you find the final two and share some photos of them as well.

Thanks for sharing the photos.

David