A friend of mine has looked up my 1854 Seated half dime in the Liberty Seated Half half dimes Book by Al Blythe. His research shows that this Seated dime is a V-6 variety and that this variety is identifyable by the die scratch just off the shield near the TY. He is also was telling me that my coin is unknown in this late die state and that the die shattered. Is the V-6 variety correct? Is it an unknown late die state? There are numerous die cracks. Obverse: 1. Radiate crack from forehead to denticles 2. Star 6 to rim 3. Small NE crack just below star 5. Reverse: Strong crack from wreath through E of united to rim. Also: Die clash through F and E of half dime and in hand can see the shield clashed in the fields on HA. Is it an
My two references on US Seated Half dimes there are no reference to a V-6. Valentine book only list 4 of the 1854 O half dimes. Valentine list a H-10 as a V-2 that is close to your specimen . See below description . Obv. High date, medium ,even numerals. 1,8,and 5 touch base.small arrows close to base and numerals. Rev. Die of no.1 cracks at T of United and between ME of America . The other reference is Flynn ' s book the Authoritative Reference of Seated half Dimes. Which is copyright 2014 so one of the newest books on these coin has no reference to the 1854 O in any die state ,or under any varieties . This is of interest to me as I do collect H-10 ' s and have never heard of such a variety . What I find strange is Valentine book only list 4 for the 1854 O so how can it be a V-6? Plus in the rear of the text there are up dates written by others who also fail to note anything on a 1854 O variety . I personally don't have any reference of Blythe works. The text is out of print and costly to find one in good condition . There is one listed on Amazon used at $90. Out of print since 1992. I would interested in finding more on your specimen myself as a variety collector . But since Valentine and Blythe there has been few references other than Flynn ' s printed . Also since most older references finds have been updated or debunked I'm not quite sure what to believe, but again if there is a such animal out there I would like to be in the hunt as 1854 O's are quite easy to find at a show.
The finest-known 1854-O in Heritage's archives is listed as "V-6": https://coins.ha.com/itm/seated-hal...-98174.s?ic4=ListView-ShortDescription-071515 The diagnostics listed at Heritage for the variety appear here, and some of the obverse cracks visible on the Heritage coin (note particularly the "guillotine" thru the neck and to the hand) can be seen here as well. The Heritage coin shows none of the clashing or reverse cracks. It's the only example they have with this attribution.
Would love to have a copy but just don't have the funds at Christmas to buy another reference book. I know that they don't come available to often .
Dave, thank you so much. And to you Paddy, great info on the literature available. That Heritage example is amazing! And way better than mine. Here is close up of the "guillotine" crack thru the neck which I feel confirms the variety. Sorry the pics are not better but this little thing has been beast to photograph. Now the question is the die state? Super rare? Either way I am finding this one to be quite interesting!
No thanks you TJC....as I do collect H-10 ' s and some of the most common ones I find in a dealers inventory are 54 ' s as well as 57 and 58's. This one will be put on my list as a must check 54 O's at a show. I would love a Blythe reference book but again they are costly and always seems to surface when the coin budget is at a minimum . Great find or purchase either way you got a super nice variety .
After checking out some closeups of the Heritage MS67 example I noticed a bunch die cracks my 60mm camera was not showing. I decided to retake some shots with my 100mm Macro. I planned to show the obverse first but while reshooting I now think I am noticing what I think is a die crack bisecting the whole reverse. I have also been making some headway figuring out photoshop elements and can draw red lines I have placed red lines above what I believe is the die crack. I should mention that I believe this coin was cleaned sometime in the past. The reverse in particular.
Wow... looks like the die is one strike away from falling out of the press in pieces. That would make a big bang! For grins, next time in Photoshop, try the rotate function.
Here is the Rx right side up. Here is an obverse shot with & without red lines paralleling the die cracks. The die cracks are so tiny on these tiny coins. I may be looking to get digital microscope.
Some of what you're seeing is pretty heavy clashing - the line thru ME of DIME is Liberty's leg, slightly rotated, I think. You can see the shield clashed into HA as well. I'd therefore consider it a nice radial crack from H to the rim, but not bisecting.
SuperDave, I see what you mean and agree that the die crack is not bisecting. I do think that the die crack does extend further than the H. Here is closer up pic. I am possibly seeing two possibly two cracks extending to D & I of dime respectively? Here is a closeup of what I think is a die thru the legs of A and from the right top corner of a to the denticles. Is there a likelihood that the clashing of the dies created the die cracks that follow out from clashed Liberties leg
