So I posted this in newest acquisitions the other day. @okbustchaser here it is. I don't see a crack joining the stars on the left. So am I correct that this is in fact an O-106 prime?
It seems so… more details on the O-106 can be found here: http://maibockaddict.com/1809-o-106-r3.shtml
To me, that’s a beautiful coin! It looks like how you would expect to find one that was hidden away somewhere.
It does seem very nice. It was pictured through a 2x2 on the auction. I couldn't even tell the variety before I bought it. Bustchaser helped me with that initially. Still the picture wouldn't show if the crack was there or not.
As for R rating even though the die state is R-5 (???, personally I think closer to 4+ anymore) I wouldn't expect it to bring much of a premium since Micbraun said the DM itself is readily available. That said, I think you did better than OK. 200 bucks? Steal!!
Oh yes I'm not even worried if it were a r2. It's a nice coin for the price when so many are problem coins
Rarity is a funny thing. Variety rarity is the most commonly considered. But the scales, even while identical visually, vary from series to series. I deal in early copper, so I'm familiar with the Sheldon scale. It is an 8 level scale which has subsequently been modified via use of +,_, and - to indicate precise numeric estimates of known, available to collector, quantities for the variety. But some scales used on other series or World Coins use different scales and different quantities. So it's important to understand which scale is being used. A Sheldon R8 is NC or Not Collectable. In different 10 point scale system, R8 might be the equivalent of a Sheldon R5. Now to the different question of rarity of a sub variety or Die Stage/State within a variety, it can use the same scale, but it's affect on value is often quite different. Here is a S-220. S-220 is an R3 variety or 200-500 estimated survivors. It is also (I believe) Die State I with Reverse Noyes Die State A (Perfect, without evidence of the Reverse Arc crack of State B) unseen by Noyes at the time of publication (2015) of his 1798-1801 Volume. Thus it would be R8 and possibly R8+ as a die state/stage. But I promise you the price will not reflect anything close to an R8 variety premium.
Not sure why you’re talking about early copper now. There are various rarity scales, usually used for different types of coins - see https://forums.collectors.com/discussion/851569/rarity-scales This is the rarity scale used with Bust half dollars: http://maibockaddict.com/notes.shtml R.5 = 31-80 known coins More precisely: Rarity # Known R5- 64-80 R5 47-63 R5+ 31-46 As always, the condition/grade of the coin is important, too. Some varieties are more readily available, but mostly in lower grades. In such cases, high grade examples will demand a premium.
Excellent links. I talked about the series I was familiar with as someone who specialized in Early Copper. I was aware of different scales in other series, but could not offer what you have in the particulars for the OPs series.
I am collecting by variety. I always prefer to get a scarcer die state of the particular variety vs the common one.
That is my preference as well. I will pay extra for an interesting die state, knowing few others will. But it's not advisable as an investment or for flipping unless you have an established die state buyer.
What a nice looking original coin! GReat to buy those raw and hold them right in hour hand. Congrats.
Early copper uses the same scale as bust halves--the Sheldon Scale...in fact, William Sheldon designed his scale for early copper...(just like he designed his grading scale for use with early US copper.)