I run into a good amount of 23-R but I saw on Coinfacts there is a 23 1/2-R: (http://www.coinfacts.com/colonial_coins/new_jersey_coppers/maris_23.5R.htm) Cannot find any more information on it anywhere. NJ copper collectors love the help!
I think there are only about three known even though the variety was first identified in the 1890's. The highest price one brought was a little over $50,000.
Do you know what the difference is and when it was discovered? I assume the difference between the fairly common 23-R and the ultra rare 23-1/2-R is fairly minor?
It is listed in Whitman's encyclopedia of Colonial and Early American coins. It was discovered in 1895 and is not really similar to obverse 23. I suppose the number was chosen because it was discovered after the attribution system was written and there were no available whole numbers.
Any picture of it out there? I find that so odd that instead of just giving it a new obverse number they do that "half" thing. Why choose Obverse 23 then?
Couldn't tell you why, but there is a picture in Whitman's encyclopedia. Will check my copy of New Jersey State coppers later tonight, any information that is available will be in there. If you are thinking it may be possible to snag one misidentified as a 23 though, they are not even close!
I did a little reading on 23 1/2-R. Obverses 23 and 24 were the only obverses known paired with reverse R before the discovery of 23 1/2. Even though it resembles obverse 22 more closely than 23 it was named 23 1/2 probably because the 23 is a coulter variety. There is speculation that the 23 1/2 is a transitional variety, a no coulter variety with coulter added and a limited number were made.
No, it isn't, totally different variety. 23 1/2 may have started out without a coulter but had one added. 23 1/2 is closer stylistically to 22 than to 23 but all are totally different varieties. 23 1/2 is actually closer to 21 1/2 than any of the others, but all were from totally different dies.
