Stone Mountain Half Web Site

One of a kind, literally! We recently sent this in for grading thinking it would come back as a low MS coin, hopefully MS 60 since we need that grade in our grading set. But even better it came back as an AU58+ and the only one ever graded. PCGS giving + grades below MS has been a rarity in the past.

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

On your website (which is great), under Obverse Design Issues I found an error. See bold text below.

The obverse of the coin is lacking the sharp detail we are accustomed to on U. S. coins. The figures of Lee and Jackson are too soft and lack detail even on many high-grade coins. Because Borglum was trying to recreate the mountain on the coin there is no real definition between the devices and the fields. To make matters worse, the fields are not flat to allow easy repolishing. Graders seem to struggle with the issues and have to rely on high point wear on Lee's leg and glove.

Shouldn't this read Jackson's leg and glove, since he is at the highest point, even though lower in rank?

 

I don't believe so. Lee is in the foreground, Jackson in the background and his leg is not visible. Take a look at this page http://www.stonemountainhalf.com/gradingelements.html

Although Jackson's face seems to take a flattened appearance very early and also from bag damage, the difference in Lee's leg and glove are tough. The area on Lee's left leg can appear flattened from an incomplete strike where there isn't much detail, or wear. Since Borglum designed the coin to look like the mountain carving all the detail is softened.

This also happens with Lee's sword hilt where it joins the leg. Other points of grading trouble are the bridle where it crosses the holster, and the detail of the breastplate on Traveler, which is rarely sharp.

 

Well I continue to chip away at the full grading set and last week these two popped up on eBay. There are only 4 (3 really because one is a counterstamped variety) and this saves a lot of effort and cost working to hit this grade.


Onward and upward! I will have full images of these two once I send them into PCGS, but probably in December.

 

Stone Mountain 50c among my fav Commems.

 

Can I post mine here?

 

Sure

 

Thanks!

 

Nice one

 

I have been away a while working on other collections and just getting back to the Mountain. The first coin I touched wound up being a good one to study because it is an FS-101, but it is not an FS-101!

This coin http://www.stonemountainhalf.com/21844655_62.html received the FS-101 DDO designation from PCGS, but it shows how loose the definition for that variety can be. The FS-101 (official version) has some unique characteristics with special die cracks and die gouges.

But this coin lacks those features. It does have the doubling of the date and STONE MOUNTAIN, but not in the usual way. It also has all 33 reverse stars visible and this is a rarity as the strike on this coin is rarely full or sharp.

The coin also has a little color near the rim, but it seems to be either faded or just light. You can see more detail about the coin at the link above.

 

Thanks

 

Well I continue to pick away at the grading set for the Stone Mountain Half and now have coins in 25 different grades. But as with all such challenges finding those last few gets to be more of a challenge, even when there are a lot of examples out there. Our latest addition is an AU53, our first and it proved difficult to find.

More detail about the coin can be seen here: http://www.stonemountainhalf.com/38171590_53.html

Onward and upward to the full set!

 

Would you have time to list the ones you are still lacking?

steve

 

Sure, if you look at this page any link where there is no picture of a coin on a grade link is a hole in the set. The one exception is F12 where I have two coins in at PCGS for images. http://www.stonemountainhalf.com/ourcollection.html

I would have to go back and look, but in some cases there are no known PCGS examples or a single example. So I am looking for them graded by any service and doing crossovers where necessary. This coin is so subject to wild grade interpretations that I am sticking to graded coins.

 

I just added this coin, an MS64, with some nice toning. There is a little range to the color but it has what I like to think of as an opalescent quality.


The color progression on the obverse has a little more range, with the reverse limited to yellow and orange. But a nice toner in my book.
http://www.stonemountainhalf.com/33453130_64.html

 

That set is shaping up nicely. I love these halves.

I just got one back from PCGS a few weeks ago. I was disappointed in the grade. I just got back from Europe so I need to find it again; I’ll post it for your opinion when I locate it.

Steve

 

Notice the new book about Counterstamps that came out?

Anyone purchase it yet?

Pricey at $125 in Hardback.

 

I think I might have paid a little more, but it is quite an encyclopedia of information. It is about 1,600 pages with lots of illustrations I had never seen. I think of it as a reference book rather than bedside reading, assuming we are talking about the same book.

 

That sounds like the one.

 

It is obviously written by someone knowledgeable of the issues and just chock full of things I had never seen. But the topic and exhibits do not lend themselves to easy organization. I think worth the money because I am not sure how many will be sold or how long it will be offered.