Message:

<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Publius2, post: 8077233, member: 105571&quot;]For the Capped Bust Half Dimes (1829-1837), I use the Logan-McCloskey book published in 1998, supplemented by a website of more recent vintage:</p><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180404233924/http://www.everythinghalfdimes.com/attribute-my-half-dime.html" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180404233924/http://www.everythinghalfdimes.com/attribute-my-half-dime.html" rel="nofollow">Attribute My Half-Dime - Capped Bust Half Dimes (archive.org)</a></p><p><br /></p><p>As to how I go about it, here it is step-by-step followed by photos of the process and documentation.</p><p><br /></p><p>1)&nbsp; I take hi-res photos and then carefully crop the obverse and reverse using my editing software, PhotoScapeX.</p><p>2)&nbsp; On the reverse, locate the center of the image.&nbsp; Note that PhotoScapeX has a feature that will locate the center of image by showing an intersecting pair of lines when the cursor is at the center of the IMAGE, not the coin.&nbsp; That is why a careful cropping is required.</p><p>3)&nbsp; Draw lines from the center to the start of the banner to the area of T1E1 of the legend.&nbsp; Do the same from the center to the end of the banner to the area of M in the legend.&nbsp; See which reverses these locations correspond to.</p><p>4)&nbsp; Draw a line from the center to where the E2 or S2 lines up over the S in the banner.&nbsp; These three markers will usually be sufficient to completely identify the reverse.</p><p>5)&nbsp; I also draw lines from the center to the tip of feather and on to the 5.&nbsp; Also from the center to the tip of the stem and on the C2.&nbsp; The points of intersection with the 5 and C2 should match up to the reverse die identified in steps 3 and 4.</p><p>6)&nbsp; Draw a line center to the center of the period after C2 and on to the dentils.&nbsp; This sometimes won&#039;t work with worn coins or coins with very weak dentils,</p><p>7)&nbsp; Compare specifics of known markers in the legend such as one letter being higher or lower than its neighbor, re-punched letters, crumbling letters and the like.</p><p>8)&nbsp; Sometimes there are unique die markers in the shield that can be used.&nbsp; For example, for 1829 there are some dies where the shield has two pale gules (the vertical lines) and some with three.</p><p>9)&nbsp; Finally, I note any die cracks, bulges, clashes, chips and etc. that are sometimes diagnostic for the reverse die and otherwise are used to determine the die state.</p><p>10)&nbsp; On the obverse, the pickup points are usually determined by the relationship of the date digits to the dentils and to each other.</p><p>11)&nbsp; Stars 1, 7, 8 and 13 are used in relation to the proximity to the dentils and respectively the bust, the headband, the cap, and the hair.</p><p>12)&nbsp; Stars are located in relation to each other, i.e., closer or farther apart.</p><p>13)&nbsp; Stars are sometimes called as being rotated clockwise or counterclockwise and also with relation to the line drawn from points to the dentils and where that line intersects the dentils.</p><p>14)&nbsp; Die state determinants are the same as used for the reverse.</p><p><br /></p><p>Now, I go through all of these things and typically will photographically and textually document the coin in relation to these characteristics.&nbsp; But in reality, it usually only takes me a couple of minutes to attribute a die marriage and the rest of the time is devoted to just confirmation and documentation.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1402041[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]1402042[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]1402043[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]1402044[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]1402045[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]1402046[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]1402047[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]1402048[/ATTACH][/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

Your name or email address:

Do you already have an account?

• No, create an account now.
• Yes, my password is:
• Forgot your password?

Stay logged in