Lets see some nice old worn Bust half dollars.

Thanks, Larry

 

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Very nice, the Bust halves are iconic coins. Although not a specialist in these I do have a flock of 'em. Some I got many years ago from a guy whole broke up a date set.

The only one I'm really missing (out of a denom set) and which I'd love to get is of course the legal tender Capped Bust dollar: designed by John Reich I think. I saw one some years ago, but it was very expensive. Of course that comes with being ms. If I ever see another one which has not been cleaned/ worn or etc., I'll really try to buy it.

I should stress that this is a Capped Bust 1$, not a Draped Bust or Flowing Hair one. Mintage is quite small tho, so they usually run in EXF to AU grades. Unc's are really rare.

 

It's not that worn, but what do you think of the grade of this Capped Bust Half Dollar 1831?






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XF 40 to 45...the drift mark on the reverse (black band from improper alloy mixing) doesn't really bother me, but will be a detraction to many people.

 

I'd say they're rare--in fact, they don't exist. The dollar wasn't minted during the years that Reich's capped bust design was used. They skip from 1804 (draped bust) until 1836 with the introduction of the Gobrecht patterns

 

A mintage of zero is the definition of rare!

 

I think mintage was listed at 1,286 pieces & the coin entered circulation. Not sure of the weight, Krause lists it as 25.0 g but they tend to "fill in the blanks" when unsure. It may be near 8 real weight which was around 27+ grams. Fineness was .900 silver. Since this was an era of debased coinage in Northern South America, everyone hoarded the coin and it has a reasonably high survival rate. Mint state specimens are really rare tho.



Until & including 1857, this coin was legal tender in the USA, presumably for 1 dollar. The obverse was clearly designed by John Reich but may have been copied by an Ecuadorian. This specimen is an NGC-64 and sold for $23K in 2008. I missed buying an ms-63 specimen thru a stupid error.

I know, I know, I should retreat back to the foreign coin area from which I came. Every once in a while tho, I crawl forth and attack the US Bust Half dollar collectors...

 

still, in spite of being a darkside coin, very attractive.

 

Remember at the time that the USA, with it's Revolution still in recent history, was an inspiration for Latin America. LA finished with it's own Wars of Independence & began making it's own coinage without Spanish Kings in the 1820's. Thus the USA Capped Bust coinage, instead of the earlier types would've been familiar to them.

Ecuador was really quite backwards and this was their 1st crown sized silver coin. It was struck only in 1846; their next type was slightly different & was made only in 1858: that one was still a Capped Bust but not a direct copy of the US type. I'm not sure if they knew the Capped Bust design ceased in '39 when they made this one.

However, I think I posted the 1806 one before. Bought way before slab times (early 1980's) these are what I used to collect:



The 1830 came from a Whitman folder date set of Bust halves in the late 1970's. Unfortunately I have no really decent ones from the 1807-1824 early period. I did sell a bunch of my slabbed US when I stopped really collecting USA, but never parted with my early pieces. The 1830 has no damage & I paid all of $30 or $31 for it (in the late 70's).

 

teo beauties!

 

New pickup and an old friend

 

O-109

 

You want worn? This should fill the bill.

 

poor thing was abused

O-109


R-1

 

Bump!

 

1807 O-102 R-2
1807
O-102
R-2

Obv: Serif of Y higher than T.
Rev: 5 berries, 3 below have long stems, 2 above have short stems.



However, purchased as a 'love token'.

Engravings:

on Face: "LIBERTY"
On Bust: 1817

Left filed: "J"?
Right filed: "S" + Masonic symbol!

 

1827 O-101 R-2 1827/6
1827/6

O-101
R-2


This obverse die is mated with 3 different reverses.

Diagnostics:

Obv: Clear traces of 6 below the 7. Visible on either side of the stand of the 7.
Rev: Die cracks: One upwards thru UNITED STAT then to edge above E.
The other: down thru olive leaves, 50 C

 

1827 O-102 [1827/6] R-1
1827 O-102
[1827/6]
R-1

[How the heck did I miss posting these?]

From 2014

 

1827 O-103 1827/6 R-4
1827
O-103
1827/6

R-4

I think XF-45
But old cleaning.

Rev to top left may be a grease strike thru.

Same on the obverse