So I'm trying to figure out the NGC website when I found out how to look at the population reports. I'm looking through the Bust Halfs when I see they list them by Overton, so when I clicked on my 1826 O-113a I see my coin is a TOP POP of one other coin and none higher. Does this make a difference?
Hard to say with varieties, but if it were the top grade of the date/mm, then yes. It would make a huge difference if it were 1/0.
Hope I'm not violating any rules with this picture. http://coins.ha.com/itm/bust-half-d...gc-o-113a-r3-the-obverse-is-most/a/304-7249.s
Hmmm, I gather the pop report is inaccurate unless they crossed it over to PCGS then actually returned the label to NGC. The HA description said that this was the finest example of the variety but then said that there were three finer a little later. I assume that the three finer were over all varieties of the date.
You have to remember a couple of things. When you look up pop numbers on the NGC or PCGS web sites you see current, present date, pop numbers. But when you look up coins on Heritage or in other auction archives and read the descriptions text, that description text is from the date of the auction. So the pop numbers are from 2014, the description text is from 2002, and in the additional 12 years there may well have been additional coins of this date and specific variety graded as 66, or even some higher. And when you read a line like this in the description text - Population: 14 in 66, 3 finer (7/02) - yes that means from among all the various varieties of this coin combined there are 14 graded 66 and 3 higher, as of July, 2002.
Ahh, didn't realize that the 66 wasn't attributed to its variety. That's why it's not in the pop report.
Dunno, might be, might not. But it's not uncommon for a coin of a specific variety to be the top pop for just that specific variety even though there are sometimes many other coins of the same date/mint graded higher. It's kind of like 2 guys comparing their cars when both cars are the same make and model. Guy one says mine is the nicest because blah, blah, blah. Guy two says yeah, but mine is the nicest blue one.
For the longest time both NGC and PCGS did not attribute Overton varieties when they graded coins, so there is an enormous pool of early half dollars in all grades that will not show up within specific Overton population searches.
@Tom B, do you think that this sort of top pop would increase the value of the coin similar to other top pop coins, or would you expect that it would hold a marginal gain at best.
