1836 Capped Bust Half O-116a R.6 (O-116 50/00 in it's original die state)

I've been looking to cherrypick one of these for many, many years. I found one other one 2 years ago on eBay, but got outbid, as someone else noticed it as well. It was raw and estimated to be Fine details, cleaned. This one appeared at auction last week, however. It is an NGC VF25. The variety is not identified on the holder. The pics were not quite good enough to 100% i.d. this variety in the listing, so I looked up the NGC cert verification and was able to confirm it using their photographs. As far as value, the last 2 to auction at Heritage were F15 for $990 and a XF45 for $2585. I was lucky enough to nab this one for $201.50.

This was originally the O-116 50/00 variety, where a zero digit was misplaced where the 5 digit should have gone, then the 5 punched over top of it. After many uses, however, the mint employee lapped the die, erasing the remaining zero digit, but in the process, erasing the stem connections of the berry to the olive branch, creating a "floating berry." Additionally, the 5 digit, which had grown weak with use, was recut. This die lapping and re-cutting made a new variety, the Overton 116a. Listed in the Overton book as a Rarity 5, it is now known and recognized to be a R.6 by Steve Herrmann (who publishes the AMBPR [Auction and Mail Bid Prices Realized]), and the Bust Half Nut Club. Here she is, the first O-116a I've ever owned.

 

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Really neat, Congrats!

 

Thanks. It has been literally 10 years of looking. Feels good to have finally accomplished this goal.

 

Can you highlight the floating berry?

 

The berry stem doesn't touch the olive branch.