Specializing in Liberty Seated Half Dollars Dick Osburn 281 -334 -2476 dick@dickosburn. com 1
References 1. Beistle, M. L. , A Register of Half Dollar Die Varieties and Sub-Varieties. Shippenburg, Pensylvania: The Beistle Company, 1929. 2. Taxay, Don, The Comprehensive Catalog and Encyclopedia of U. S. Coins. New York: Scott Publishing Company, 1975. 3. Breen, Walter Breen’s Complete Encyclopedia of U. S. and Colonial Coins. New York: F. C. I. Press, Inc. and Doubleday, 1988. 4. Breen, Walter Breen’s Complete Encyclopedia of U. S. and Colonial Proof Coins. New York: F. C. I. Press, Inc. and Doubleday, 1977. 5. Wiley, Randy; and Bugert, Bill, The Complete Guide to Liberty Seated Half Dollars. Virginia Beach, Virginia: DLRC Press, 1993. 6. The Gobrecht Journal. Three times yearly publication of the Liberty Seated Collector’s Club. 7. The Gobrecht Journal, Collective Volumes 1 -4. Published by the Liberty Seated Collector’s Club. 8. Flynn, Kevin, Two Dates are Better Than One, A Collector’s Guide to Misplaced Dates. Rancocas, New Jersey: KCK Press, 1997. 9. Lloyd, Lloyd M. , The Varieties of 1854 New Orleans Liberty Seated Half Dollars, Published by Mike Lloyd, 1998. 2
Series Characteristics Designer First official issue Last issue Mints Christian Gobrecht 1839 no drapery 1891 Philadelphia 1839 - 1891 San Francisco 1855 - 1878 New Orleans 1840 - 1861 Carson City 1870 - 1878 Total dates/mintmarks 108 Total varieties 306 in Wiley/Bugert reference ~500 estimated Total die marriages ~2500 estimated 3
Design Transitions YEAR Old Type New Type Comments 1839 1842 1852 - 1853 - 1854 1855 - 1856 1858 - 1864 1866 No Drapery Small Date/ Letters No Arrows & Rays Arrows Only Type 1 Rev Hub No Motto Old Rev Hub No Arrows Type 1 Rev Hub With Drapery Large Date/ Letters Arrows & Rays Arrows Only No Arrows Type 2 Rev Hub With Motto New Rev Hub Arrows No Arrows Transitional Rev Hub Type 2 Rev Hub Major Minor Major Very Minor Major Minor 1873 1874 - 1875 1876 - 1881 4
Seated Half Rarity By Date and Mintmark (all varieties included) R 7+ 3 known 1853 -O No Arrows R 5 ~50 known 1878 -S R 3 Less than 500 1851, 1852 -O, 1870 -CC, 1878 -CC 1871 -CC, 1874 -CC R 2 Less than 1250 1842 -O SD, 1846 -O TD, 1850, 1852 1855 -S, 1856 -S, 1857 -S, 1866 -S NM 1872 -CC, 1873 -CC NA, 1873 -CC WA 1885, 1886, 1887 5
Seated Half Rarity By Variety Value (XF) Unknown 1880, Type 1 reverse Unique 1866, No motto (Actually a pattern, only known piece is lost) 1 known 1877, WB-101, Type 1 reverse 1 -2 known 1842, Small data and letters $35, 000+? 3 known 1851, WB-104, 8 in denticles 5, 000? ~10 known 1877/77 Type 1 reverse (Proof) 1875 -S, WB-104, Micro S 1, 000 ~15 known 1849/1849, WB-102, Dramatically Doubled Date 1876 -S, WB-103, Tail Hub Variety 2 5, 000 1, 000 ~20 known 1847/6, WB-102 7, 500 ~50 known 1873, WB-101, No Arrows, Open 3 9, 000 ~250 known 1844/1844 -O, WB-103, Dramatically Doubled Date 2, 500 6
Seated Half Rarity The “Not So Rare” 1855/4 You can find one or two at any large show 1845 -O No Drapery Actually a die state, caused by polishing the die (the 1839 ND is the exception) Many other no drapery dates are available 1846/horizontal 6 A spectacular, very visible variety, therefore high priced, but not rare 1879 through 1890 Rare by mintage, but always available Buy proofs for not much more than G-VG 1885, 1886, and 1887 are rarer than the others 1855 -S Louisiana hoard recently dispersed 7
Seated Half Rarity Sleepers 1842 -O Large date Common date, but very hard to find 1848 Moderate price, hard to find 1851 Higher priced, but virtually unavailable 1851 -O Higher mintage, and common date price Sought by date collectors due to scarcity of 1851 1852 -O Gray sheet under $100 in G/VG Virtually unavailable in all grades 1856 -S, 1857 -S As scarce as 1855 -S, but at a fraction of the price 1862 - 1865 Civil war issues disappeared 1864 -S Very underrated. Virtually unobtainable in AU - MS 8
Interesting Coins 1840 “Medium Letters” reverse • • • Bust half reverse (obverse mintmark) used to strike an 1840 -O seated half Result - the “Medium Letters” no mintmark variety, which is actually a New Orleans issue Two coins here for examination 1840 medium letters 1840 -O, same obv Early New Orleans die usage • 1845 -O examples here 1846, 6 over horizontal 6 The 1861 -O “Confederate” halves • Obverse die linked to real 1861 Confederate half dollar issued by the CSA 1866 with misplaced digits (WB-103) 9
Cherry Picking (For fun and profit) The Rules of Engagement • Cherry Picking is an honorable pursuit (NOT theft) – You worked hard for the knowledge - YOU EARNED IT!! – Most (but not all) dealers agree • Be courteous to a dealer’s other customers – Don’t hog the table • When you find something – Complete your search before asking for prices – Ask the price, then pay it or move on – If the dealer asks what you’ve found, tell him 10
Closing Thoughts Get smart - buy the books before the coins Limit your scope - specialize Buy a microscope Series suggestions : Low budget Lincoln cents Jefferson nickels Moderate budget Big bucks 2 cent pieces 3 cent nickels Barbers Trade dollars Seated dollars 11
Скачать презентацию Specializing in Liberty Seated Half Dollars Dick Osburn
c1e3a2f29de3f573fefd937223f3c657.ppt