Bump, sorry it took so long to get the diagnostics in and I did not realize we cannot edit our own posts after a certain amount of time.
So below is the original post with the updated diagnostics. There are many more diagnostics but I provided enough to identify all of the known 1834 half eagle varieties.
Please feel free to use this thread as a resource.
------------------------------------------------------Original Post Below
Just for fun I thought I would post what I have.
An almost complete 1834 Die Variety Set, I am missing 2 of the 9 known. The last two are fairly common, I have been focusing on the much more difficult 1835 Varieties.
If anyone has the last two I can post them in this post to complete the reference set.
As time allows I will update this post with some of the diagnostics for each variety; for now I'll test you guys to see if you can come up with what makes each one different.
McCloskey 1A
Diagnostics:
Obverse: Script 8 - "4" close to curl
Reverse: No bud in the branches, Eagle has a tongue
McCloskey 2A: Missing
Diagnostics:
Obverse: "4" is triple cut and distant from the curl
Reverse: No bud in the branches, Eagle has a tongue
McCloskey 2B
Diagnostics:
Obverse: "4" is triple cut and distant from the curl
Reverse: No bud in the branches, Eagle has no tongue
McCloskey 2C: Missing
Diagnostics:
Obverse: Block 8, "4" is triple cut and distant from the curl
Reverse: Small bud in the branches, Eagle has a tongue
McCloskey 3A
Diagnostics:
Obverse: Script 8, "4" distant from curl
Reverse: No bud in branches, Eagle has a tongue
McCloskey 3B
Diagnostics:
Obverse: Script 8, "4" distant from curl
Reverse: No bud in the branches, Eagle has no tongue
McCloskey 3C
Diagnostics:
Obverse: Script 8, "4" distant from curl
Reverse: Small bud between upper and middle branch (can't see in this photo), Eagle has a tongue
McCloskey 4C
Diagnostics:
Obverse: Block 8, "4" touches curl
Reverse: Small bud between upper and middle branch, Eagle has a tongue
McCloskey 5D
Diagnostics
Obverse: Script 8, Crosslet "4"
Reverse: No bud between branches, eagle has no tongue