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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Bedford, post: 495442, member: 4917&quot;]A hard to come by issue, the 1840 Medium Letters Seated Liberty Half was struck at the New Orleans Mint without a mintmark , using an old open claws reverse die intended &amp; possibly used for 1839 O Capped Bust Reeded Edge Half Dollar.</p><p><br /></p><p>The John Reich obverse &amp; reverse designed dies &amp; of the Capped Bust Half had been sent to New Orleans in 1839 . The only mint marked Capped Bust halves had the “O” mintmark on the obverses of the coins.</p><p><br /></p><p>One of the reverse dies in New Orleans was saved for use in 1840.Back then the goverment was a bit more cost concious with the tax payers money &amp; did not like to waste perfetly good dies.The old-style reverse die was paired with the newly designed but 2nd year Seated Liberty obverses.</p><p>What came of this new pairing was a new obverse that carried the mint marks on the reverse; but an older reverse die that put the mint marks on the obverse.&nbsp; Thus flip flopping where the mint marks should have been.</p><p><br /></p><p>The result is refered to as the type III, 1840 (O) with no mintmark.</p><p><br /></p><p>The noticeable difference is not that it doesn’t have a mintmark since the coins minted in Philadelphia that didnt have a mint mark . But by the size of the Eagle &amp; letters on the reverse.Another way to identify this type is by the reverse having multiple die breaks that are always seen on this type &amp; the open claws of the eagle.</p><p><br /></p><p>This unique year has halves with the reverse of coinage like that of 1838 &amp; is usually referred to as the reverse of 1838 even though the coins came from 1839 dated dies.</p><p><br /></p><p>One of my favorite varieties &amp; always a joy to come across.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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