I all. I got this extremely rough 1871 IHC Yesterday. Upon further exam, I think that this is the Reverse of 1869, or "shallow N" reverse die variety. I determined that by the shape of the center of the E's on the reverse. I think they look more like a sideways T, rather than the later reverse design where they are shaped more like the bell of a trumpet. Here is the reverse of an 1888 for comparison. What say you all? Also, in this damaged state, what would the variety be worth? I will bring it to the coin show tomorrow but would like some input before hand. Any help to confirm or deny my attribution, as well as opine on value, is greatly appreciated. Thanks for looking!
Figured I'd give this a bump before I head to the show.... I'm certain it is the Rev. of '69 variety. In G4 condition this variety would be around $300. What is this one worth do you think?
It appears to be that variety, but my concern would be two fold. One its a more obscure variety, and two the condition. Most variety collectors tend to want clearer examples and US collectors arre more severe in dealing with problem coins. I think the Penny Lady would be most helpful in assessing the coin. Unfortunately i would be shocked if you received an offer for a third of the G price. I hope i am wrong though.
Well it was confirmed at the show that it IS the reverse of '69 variety. Looking at it side by side with a PCGS normal reverse made it very easy to determine. ^ this is the trouble. The dealer specializing in IHC's told me that he has 2 clients actively seeking IHC varieties, etc. and they want clear examples. Oh well. Still a tough date, and a scarce variety, and I'm happy to have cherrypicked it regardless of condition. I can always upgrade later....
I think its a really cool pick too. Its sad how adverse most US collectors can be of rare coins with issues.
This is a bold N. The shape of the serifs in the "E"'s are bugle shaped. Look at the pics below for more detail. shallow N - Serifs in E are "T" shaped Bold N - Serifs in "E' are bugle shaped I look for these all the time as it is a very underrated coin in the IHC series. It is a redbook variety and it is VERY scarce. In 3+ years of looking for them, I have only found 4 unattributed. I bought all 4, and 2 of them are problem coins. The other two are G-4 at best.
Other PUP's turned out to be better for the attribution of my corroded 'shallow N' variety. Most helpful was the thickness of the vertical portions of the letter N, which are much thinner than the normal reverse.
