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53 bid online atwww.goldbergcoins.com (800) 978-COIN (2646) |
Session Two - Sunday, June 1, 2014 Approx 12:00 PM
AN IMPORTANT 1797 13 S TARS HALF DIME
Enlargement
280 1797. 13 stars. PCGS graded EF-40. Attractively toned.
Only 44,527 struck. Pop 4; 8 finer at PCGS. (PCGS #
4260 )
Estimated Value .................................... $10,000 - 11,000
CHOICE 1800 DRAPED BUST HALF DIME
Enlargement
281 1800. LM-1, V-1.. PCGS graded AU-55. Nicely toned.
Only 40,000 minted. This is the first year of issue for the
new Heraldic Eagle reverse design. Perfect LIBERTY with
the upper inside point of star 1 close to the small middle
curl. Seldom seen with perfect dies. All four digits in the
date are equally spaced on this variety, and the first star is
low in the field.
A respectable example of the premium AU quality one likes
to see for this elusive Heraldic Eagle design. Some lingering
luster blends naturally with pale dove gray and golden
highlights on the surfaces. Struck with the usual uneveness
throughout the inner design areas, although somewhat
stronger at the following locations: dentils, stars and LIB-
ERTY along with a sharp date and other legends on the
reverse. The eagle with its shield are both nicely defined.
Marginal weakness in the stars above and where the
obverse bust interferes with the clouds near S-OF, having
pulled the metal toward it, leaving the clouds insufficient
material to fill the die completely.
The LM-1 1800 Half Dime is the most frequently seen vari-
ety for this date. As a side note, a fifth, variety was discov-
ered about 10 to 15 years. Pop 26; 55 finer . (PCGS #
4264 )
Estimated Value ........................................ $8,000 - 8,500
MINT STATE 1801 DRAPED BUST HALF DIME
Enlargement
282 1801 LM-2. NGC graded MS-61. Only 27,760 minted. A
hint of light gold tone. The 1801 is an intriguing date
among the early half dimes. Die cracks and breaks seem to
appear and disappear, die marriages that seem to be differ-
ent are actually the same, and high-quality examples are
extremely rare. The V-1/2, LM-2 die pairing is attributed by
the distant LIB with stars 1-3 close, while the reverse
shows a leaf distant from the last A but joined to the center
of the C. Valentine called this as both V-1 and V-2.
This is a fully lustrous Mint State beauty accented by light
gold toning over silver-gray surfaces. The central details are
sharp, but peripheral weakness is caused by obverse die
breaks, curving up through the date and down through LIB.
A dark lamination on the reverse is caused by inclusions in
the planchet. Pop 3; 2 finer, 1 in 63, 1 in 67.
Historic Note for 1801: This year, in addition to a small
coinage of Half Dimes, the Mint commenced striking half
dollars again, which had not been coined since 1797, The
1801 issue was the first produced utilizing the Draped Bust
obverse design with the Heraldic Eagle reverse that had
already been introduced on the Dimes in 1798 and the Half
Dimes in 1800. Also, the famous "Three Errors" 1801 large
cent was produced, with the reverse having these blunders:
UNITED appeared as IINITED, the fraction was a mathe-
matically meaningless 1/000, and there was just one stem
to the wreath instead of two stems.
Estimated Value .....................................$16,000 - 17,000