Posting these photos for a new member @Jeff Pil that hasn’t yet mastered the art of putting photos on the site. He wanted an 1853 half and found this on EBay and came here trying to ask why his half has rays but no arrows…... As I understand it, the mint did strike some halves without arrows in error but few are known to exist. My gut reaction is that this piece was manipulated and the arrows were removed because the toning appears differently in that area to me. But I wanted some more seasoned eyes you take a look and see what you guys think.
The genuine 53-O NA also has no rays . . . while the above alteration looks rather crudely done, removing the rays would be a much more difficult alteration to pull off successfully.
I have heard of no arrow halves struck on the higher weight standard. I have never heard of one with rays however. What is the weight? Is it the old, (pre-53), or new standard? If its the lighter weight it would prove to me that the arrows were removed.
Looks to me like those arrows were removed. I'm no expert but I did stay at a Holiday Inn last night (no I didn't).
Well then you have settled it @ToughCOINS … I knew there were a few “no arrows” examples that existed. I did not know they were also “no rays”…… Well, @Jeff Pil I was hoping you had yourself something, but it does appear that somebody removed the arrows. Still is a cool and historic coin though!
Thanks for looking. A defaced coin I can live with,my stupidity. A counterfeit would be hard to swallow.
Jeff, we see defaced coins here almost every day. Who knows why people do it. Boredom maybe. Certainly to be deceptive often times. Only the person that did the deed could answer that for you.
The Variety 1 has a weight of 13.36 grams. The Variety 2 has a weight of 12.44 grams. It's pretty clear to me from the weight and the coin's appearance that the OP's coin is a defaced 1853 Variety 2 Arrows and Rays. BTW, according to Red Book there are only 4 known 1853-O No Arrows or Rays (Variety 1) coins known. I have never heard of a mistaken, erroneous, dishonest or otherwise striking of a 1853 or 1853-O Variety 2 half without arrows or without rays.
Because if you look at the listings in the catalog it shows it as "no arrows" and then a MONSTOROUSLY high value. It doesn't say anything about it having no rays as well The idea is to get the sucker to focus on the missing arrows while you take him for all you can.