Indian Half Eagle : Bezel, as-minted, or ???

Comments

• adamlaneus Posts: 6,969 ✭✭✭

  February 13, 2009 2:50AM

  The thing you see on the rim does seem to happen on some of them. Here is a photo of a similar half eagle from the CoinFacts forum:
  
  
  
  But I don't know what causes it.
  
  I'd guess that a bezel mounted coin would show more damage than this.
  
  I've given up on grading these. It's somewhere between XF and MS.
  
  
  
  If I had to guess, I'd say that the coin design is 'dished' slightly (die was domed slightly) and the line you see is where the dish ends and the truly flat surface begins. But I just pulled that out of my butt.
  
  

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• BECOKA Posts: 16,961 ✭✭✭

  February 13, 2009 2:54AM

  I did read somewhere that this was normal and a bi-product of the way these things were made. I'll try to check my gold books tonight to see if I have some text to quote.
  
  Edited: If this was from a bezel I would expect, based on where it is, that the D would be mushed.
  
  Here is my only photo of a 1909-D and but it does not show what your pic and Adams shows.
  
  
  

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• jom Posts: 3,483 ✭✭✭✭✭

  February 13, 2009 2:56AM

  It's some sort of die crack as I recall. It relatively common on the $5 Indians.
  
  jom

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• PerryHall Posts: 46,797 ✭✭✭✭✭

  February 13, 2009 2:58AM

  Appears to be late stage die erosion.

  Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
  "Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
  "Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire

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• MikeInFL Posts: 10,188 ✭✭✭✭

  February 13, 2009 3:00AM

  
  
  << <i>I did read somewhere that this was normal and a bi-product of the way these things were made. I'll try to check my gold books tonight to see if I have some text to quote. >>
  
  
  
  Thank you, please do!

  Collector of Large Cents, US Type, and modern pocket change.

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• BECOKA Posts: 16,961 ✭✭✭

  February 24, 2009 2:21AM

  Sorry, I looked through several books and a dozen articles I had put aside on this series and could not find what I remembered about the outer portion of the fields.
  
  It's been a long while since I did research on this series.

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• YaHa Posts: 4,220 ✭

  February 24, 2009 3:09AM

  Nice coins though. Keep em coming..

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• messydesk Posts: 20,276 ✭✭✭✭✭

  February 24, 2009 3:29AM

  Fairly normal. Remember that with these and the $2.50 Indians there is no rim to receive the outbound metal flow once it hit the collar.

  John
  Keeper of the VAM Catalog • Professional Coin Imaging • Prime Number Set • World Coins in Early America • British Trade Dollars • Variety Attribution

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• BECOKA Posts: 16,961 ✭✭✭

  February 24, 2009 3:32AM

  
  
  << <i>Fairly normal. Remember that with these and the $2.50 Indians there is no rim to receive the outbound metal flow once it hit the collar. >>
  
  
  
  This is closer to what I remember. Hence the flat portion that looks like it was in a bezel.

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• robkool Posts: 5,934 ✭✭✭✭✭

  February 24, 2009 3:36AM

  Appears to be a normal strike... No evidence of the coin being in a bezel... Is there any rim, or edge damage ???

  Ebay items for sale Current BIN's / The Kingdom Collection

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• Bossman88 Posts: 638 ✭✭

  February 24, 2009 4:15AM

  Is that a die crack runing thur the star and along the top feathers of the headress?
  Regards, Larry

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• RWB Posts: 8,082 ✭

  February 24, 2009 4:21AM

  If you can find a 1908 half eagle with:
  1. Inverted reverse (medal turn),
  2. Less pronounced beadwork and feathers,
  3. Stars far from the edge, and
  4. A noticeable rim.
  You might have the only extant pattern coin for this design. Given to William Sturgis Bigelow in September 1908 by President Roosevelt. Shown to Bela Pratt in October. Not seen since.
  
  Extimated value - $1,000,000+

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