1796 Half Dollar F Details

What. A. Shame.

Still an exceedingly rare coin with a mintage of an estimated 569 pieces. Just came walking into the shop today.

 

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Did you buy it?!

 

I do now own this coin.

 

What seems to be repaired and reengraved about it?

 

Most of her hair was re-engraved.

 

That coin is memorizing. I scrolled back up the page 3 times while typing this comment...

 

To put the lines back into it to give it better depth and to appear less worn?

 

Correct. Most every line in the areas highlighted was recut later.

 

Are you sure that is all they repaired? Liberty seems a little more stacked than normal.

This engraving seems to have been a fairly common practice at one time, but I'm not sure when. If I had to guess it had to be in the 1860-70s era? Still a really beautiful coin that I wouldn't mind in my holdings.

 

Sometimes I don't see the obvious, but the re-tooled hair definition jumped out at me. The lines were too deep and fine compared to the ones present with wear.

 

That is one of my dream coins.....

I think I would rather have a re-engraved coin than a cleaned, polished, damaged, or otherwise mutilated coin. The re-engraving is not nice, of course, but it does mean that you can get a higher graded coin for a decent discount. Problem is, so many of the 96 and 97 halves have been messed with....

By the way, the coin you have purchased is listed in Amato as Amato-165a. It is apparently a very early die state, one of only 6 known without a die crack which is usually seen from the border at k5 to the bust (and indicates it is one of the very first 1796 halves struck).

A previous appearance at Stacks notes that the surfaces show evidence of heating to accomplish the re-engraving, in the form of finely granular texture.

 

That's really a beautiful coin despite the re-engraving. It has a great look and many collectors would be proud to own it, I think.
Nice research, Jason.

 

It actually came into the shop already certified by NGC as part of an estate.

 

Oh man!! That's one of my dream coins!! I could live with this I guess as it has nice. Original color. I'd rather have this or a holed and plugged or damaged coin with good surface then some cleaned or whizzed one Id really like a problem free one but is gonna be a long time before I can afford one

 

Still darn cool!

 

I like it very much.
The re-engraving gives it... character, if you want to look on the bright side.
As Kirk said, I would be happy to add it to my holdings as well.

 

Fantastic looking coin even with the details and a real piece of American history. Congrats on the purchase and getting to enjoy it (at least until you sell it and make someone else very happy). I'll never understand why they changed from the wonderful looking draped bust design with Lady Liberty to the capped bust that looks like a dude with a perm'd Camaro mullet wearing a beenie.

 

What is retail on it?

 

The last time this exact coin sold at auction in 2012 it brought $20,700.