Heritage Before and After Pics - 1835 Classic Head Half Eagle

This is my latest GEM from the last Heritage auction. It took me a couple years to find this variety and I found one about a year ago at the Santa Clara Coin Show in XF40. Not a perfect coin but good enough to fill a tough spot in a variety set. Then comes this Heritage auction.

I was getting a bit itchy as it has been awhile since I added to my collection. Could not find anything based on Heritage's descriptions then the day before the auction I realized they made a mistake. They quoted a common variety but in fact it was not, it was the 5th or 6th most difficult variety in the entire series of 34 varieties.

Out of all of my Classic Head Half Eagles this was the first that I actually upgraded.

To make a long story short I bought this:




From Heritage's Award Winning Photos:

Money Shot:



Crop of the Slab Shot:



This is the coin being replaced:

 

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Awesome coin crusty! I don't know anything about varieties, but that coin appears to genuinely be mint state. There are many AU classic head gold coins in MS-61 and 62 holders, but that appears to truly be a 61 or 62 with a lot of minor blemishes and no wear. This is just my amateur opinion based on the pics. What did it grade if you don't mind me asking?

 

It's a good opinion, this also has a CAC sticker so John Albanese agrees with you.

 

Crusty, I like your pics WAY better! Heritage should hire your photo services.
I also like your old coin that you're replacing this new one with.
I read that these have different styles of "8" in the date. Which is yours, script or block?

 

This is a block 8, the script 8 has a thicker center and the circles above and below are move oval.

 

Thanks!

Is this your favorite type of coin since you use one in your avatar as well?

 

Something like that. The majority of my collection is Classic Head Gold, I am working on the Half Eagle varieties between 1834-1838 and I have 22 of 34 so far.

 

Whoa! :bigeyes: Can't wait to see a completed set of that!

 

I just noticed that the eagle's shield is almost completely clashed on the obverse from below the ear all the way up through Liberty.

 

Yeah! I can see the vertical and horizontal bars of the shield in the deep grooves of the hair on the obverse.

 

Crusty , great pickup , hope you got it for common variety money , well as comman as classic heads can be .
rzage

 

I paid a little more than MS60 generic money, not sure how much more if any it would have gone for if Heritage attributed it right. The last one they got right for an even tougher variety I lost out at 3x common money as it appear the winner would have been willing to go much much higher.