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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Bill in Burl, post: 8299081, member: 23692&quot;]Don&#039;t pay attention to what CaC lists or includes or not cover.&nbsp; There were about as many Obv 1 dies as Obv 1a dies.&nbsp; And then you have the 1a/1 dies.&nbsp; Each of the 3 Obverse types have about as many varieties as any other.&nbsp; The matrix or submatrix has protruding characters like a typewriter key does.&nbsp; It usually takes 2-4 individual whacks/pressings of the matrix onto the die to get everything at the same recessed design depth.&nbsp; The mint had not completed making the Obv 1a dies until after the mintage year started, so regular Obv 1 dies were used early on. </p><p><br /></p><p>It may be hours, days, weeks or months between when the 2nd, 3rd or 4th pressings are made to the die, because the die has to softened (annealed) and the matrix has to be hardened for each pressing.&nbsp; The workers on the Mint floor didn&#039;t examine the partially finished die to see what was already impressed ... they just grabbed whatever Obv that was on top to continue finishing the complete die.&nbsp; You might have a die that was struck 2-3 times by just an Obv 1 die or you might have one that was struck 2-3 times with a 1a die.&nbsp; And then you had the probably commonest combo of the 1a/1.&nbsp; I think that the straight Obv 1&#039;s are the least available but, unless it has some other anomaly, no added value.</p><p><br /></p><p>Just enjoy the 1881&#039;s for all the varieties and oddities there are to find and there are some very scarce varieties in all 3 of the Obv types.&nbsp; Just remember that many many&#039;81 dies were struck on old leftover 1876 dies(Obv 1) with single serif N&#039;s.&nbsp; The &#039;81&#039;s Obv 1&#039;s all (except 1) have hand-repunched N&#039;s, as well as many other digits and letters as the mintage year carried on and the dies wore..&nbsp; I think that there are almost as many different dies and coins as the 1859&#039;s and they (the &#039;81&#039;s) are more fun.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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