Continuing with the theme of Year Sets. This is my set for the year 1796. Four years after the mint at Philadelphia was established. No gold, and missing the very rare 1796 half dollar. However, I include a representative selection of the copper coins minted in that year, which saw a transition from the Liberty Cap cent to the new Draped Bust design. For those who collect EAC's, from left to right: Sheldon S-82, S-103 (LIHERTY), S-112, S-93, and S-105. The latter, a nice example of a scarce variety. Don't hesitate to post your year 1796 coins! or any other year sets. P.S - I corrected the Sheldon number for the last cent on the right. It's an S-105, not S-106.
I know that you love Proof-Likes. There are P-L 1796 half dollars, but you need to win the Power Ball Lottery or something similar first.
If you click the "Spoiler" link below, you will see a link to my secret collection of 1796 coins, US and otherwise. Spoiler: Click here for all my 1796 coins Ha! Made you click! Nope... I ain't got nothin' from 1796. Here, how 'bout a 1797 instead? Great Britain: 1797 copper "Cartwheel" twopence of George III
Very nice, both the dollar and the quarter. I somehow neglected to get the quarter back when they were more easily affordable.
Here is the finest known example, an MS-66, by a considerable margin. It last sold for $822,500 in 2015. I think if you saw it in person, it might be good enough. The estimated mintage was only 365 which means the dies were in good shape when it was struck. The photos are from CoinFacts.
Okay, I said that I have 7 of the 10, 1796 coins. Here they are. Half Cent I don't have a half cent which is dated 1796, but I know have one that was made in 1796. The mint only started making copper coins in the fall of 1795. They had a lot of 1795 dated dies which left over which they used. At the end of the year, the mint put out a very limited number of 1796 dated pieces. Cent This is not a great ratity as a date, but they are still difficult to find. This is still a raw coin. The expert copper dealer who sold it to me graded it VF-30. Half Dime I've been collecting the early half dimes for over 50 years. I have all of the Red Book listed varieties except for the 1802. Here are the three Red Book varieties. 1796 over 5 This was the mint's first overdate coin. It's not a very strong overdate. This coin was once thought to be very rare with less than ten known. Then more low grade ones, like this, were discovered. Now it is believed that there are 40 survivors. This is not much of a coin. It's graded VG-8, but I have not been able to upgrade it. I had a shot at a VF-EF many years ago, but didn't have the cash to pull the trigger. This is not an easy variety to spot because the overdate is not strong. Here are some pictures to cut down on the confusion. Normal date left, overdate right The best way to spot the overdate is to look at the reverse. If the berry is under the "D" in "UNITED," (left) it's the normal date. If it's under the "E" (right) it's the overdate. There are two 1796 normal date varieties listed in the Red Book, the "LIBERTY" and the "LIKERTY." The theory is that the "B" in "LIBERTY" wore down to look like a "K." I don't see much difference in them, and the grading services are coming to the same conclusion. Still I got both pieces, based on the labels, the cover all the bases. This one is called a "LIBERTY" Detail of a "LIBERTY." This is labeled "LIKERTY" Detail As you can see, there is little or differenced. It's a die state, NOT a die variety. Since I've burned my pictures for this post, we will continue with the next.
1796 Dime The piece with the big cud to the left of the date is supposed to have been the first 1796 dime die pair. There are six 1796 dime varieties known. This now graded PCGS AU-50. I bought it as a raw coin in the 1980s. 1796 Quarter This is a much sought after one year type. It was the first year for the quarter. The mint did not issue another one until 1804. This is now a PCGS VF-25. I bought it as a rare coin, which is why you see this picture. There were TWO 1796 quarters in the bid wall auction from which I obtained this piece. The other one was an EF, but I could not afford that one. It went to a dealer who had a series gambling problem so I'm sure it's changed hands many time. 1796 Half Dollar This one grades PCGS Fine-15. I wish it could have been a VF to match the quarter, but this was what I could afford and find. "CoinFacts" claims that there are only 40 survives of this piece, which is the 16 star variety. There is also a 15 star variety. This is "the holy grail" for type collectors. It's the hardest silver type coin to find. 1796 Bust Dollar When businesses and individuals depostited silver at the first U.S. mint, they most often asked for dollars. That why this piece is so much more common than the other silver denominations. NGC graded this one AU-50. 1796 Quarter Eagle This is the last type coin I needed for my collection. The CoinFacts estimate is 88 suvivors. Most of them are not as good as this one. Depends on whose census you believe, this is either #11 or tied for #8. I like it better than some of the pieces whch are ahead of it, but ownership makes me biast. That leaves the 1796 half eagle and eagle. Unless I hit the lottery, I won't be getting them.
Oh Bill Jones, of course you would. I know you've shown that coin before, but every single time, I'm amazed by the depth of your collection.
