Nailed it! Half Dime variety picked off eBay.

ms70

I was searching for this particular variety and as we all know eBay seller pics aren't always the best. This one was in a straight-up 1842-O holder but it happened to be a Gold Shield, so obviously there was a TrueView which helped.....

I was pretty sure about what I was seeing but a little worried due to some dirt in the date. Bought it, sent it in for attribution, and PCGS agreed, it's an FS-301 RPD!

It's a good start to the new year.

VF30.

ParlousJoe

Nice pick ms70! nice looking coin you got and its great that you were right about the attribute. I believe I might have picked up one myself a couple of days ago, have yet to receive the coin and hoping that I got it right about the variety.

Again, Congrats!

yosclimber

All 1842-o half dimes should be this variety, as there is only one known die pair (with a few die states).
Above is a closeup from PCGS CoinFacts, showing the repunching inside the top of the 8.
Of course, having one does not necessarily mean that PCGS will designate it as such (that depends on their attribution accuracy).

Mark Sheldon's 2003 article about the 1842-o half dime, single die pair and 5 die states:
https://archive.org/details/gobrechtjournalfn088libe/page/3

Jimnight

Nice!

Cameonut

Good work!

1630Boston

congrats

WAYNEAS

Nice find...maybe you should change your handle to "Eagle Eye"

oih82w8

After reading Clint's ( @yosclimber ) comment, I just looked at the images on CoinFacts of 1842-O H10C, and the four images all had the upper loop of the 8 RPD;

https://www.pcgs.com/coinfacts/coin/1842-o-h10c/images/4331

...so why would Fivaz and Stanton include it in the Cherry-Pickers guide, if it is common for all? With a reported mintage of 350K, could that have been one die set, or at least obverse die?

ricko

There also appears to be some re-punching of the 2...or is that just dirt? Cheers, RickO

ms70

@oih82w8 said:
After reading Clint's ( @yosclimber ) comment, I just looked at the images on CoinFacts of 1842-O H10C, and the four images all had the upper loop of the 8 RPD;

https://www.pcgs.com/coinfacts/coin/1842-o-h10c/images/4331

...so why would Fivaz and Stanton include it in the Cherry-Pickers guide, if it is common for all? With a reported mintage of 350K, could that have been one die set, or at least obverse die?

If I remember a previous conversation correctly, not all have it as a result of die state or die polishing.

Yosclimber can chime in on that one better than I.

Edit:

Forgot to mention, I checked my own 1842-O before going on this hunt. There is zero evidence of RPD. I'll have to dig it out for a good pic because the one I have is so bad you can't see anything.

ms70

@ricko said:
There also appears to be some re-punching of the 2...or is that just dirt? Cheers, RickO

That's re-punching.

ricko

@ms70 .... Thank you... was pretty sure it was not just dirt. Cheers, RickO

davids5104

I know nothing about this variety or most of them for that matter, but I look up all the coins I sell to confirm I am not selling a variety.
I also have heard a few posters, talking about "targeting" or identifying listings that do not have amazing photos as sources of deals, or cherrypicks. I appreciate learning different views about how to find deals!!!

yosclimber

@ms70 said:
If I remember a previous conversation correctly, not all have it as a result of die state or die polishing.
Yosclimber can chime in on that one better than I.

I think a somewhat more accurate statement would be:
"Some might not have a visible repunched 8, as a result of die lapping."
To prove that some do not have it would require a high grade example without the repunching.

Then it becomes a situation like the 1849 V-2 "9 over Far 6" - does it require an early die state and
high grade example to count for the variety,
or would any example which uses this obverse die qualify?
I prefer the latter, because it avoids subjective judgement calls on whether the feature is visible or not.
Usually there are other die markers like date and mint mark position, die cracks, etc. which can identify the dies and die pair,
without relying on seeing under digits.

The die states described in Mark Sheldon's 2003 article are complicated.
I was studying them yesterday, trying to find good photo examples of each.
The intermediate die states involve hemispherical dents on the obverse:

• just right of the pendant
• low in the shield under BE of LIBERTY

You might wonder what could create such a dent in the obverse.
Most likely it would be from a raised hemispherical lump on the die.
One or both dents can be present!

There are also reverse rim cuds above F and later M1,
and die cracks at the right ribbon and D1 to ST, which help define the die emission sequence.

Mark Sheldon's 5th die state has no dents on the obverse, and shallow letters on the reverse.
This suggests some die lapping may have taken place.
If this is true, the lapping might have removed evidence of the repunched 8 on the obverse.

Boosibri

Bright white VF30 silver. Can’t say I love the coin

WaterSport

Always nice to see someone made a pick.

WS

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Coinstartled

@Boosibri said:
Bright white VF30 silver. Can’t say I love the coin

I can say it. Nice coin.

ms70

@Boosibri said:
Bright white VF30 silver. Can’t say I love the coin

I bought it for the variety, not the beauty.

ms70

For further conversation, here's the date on my VF20 example (bottom) as compared to the attributed coin (top).

Hemispherical

Very nice cherrypick @ms70.

keets

just so I have this right on all the "congrats" from members, every 1842-O Half-Dime has this RPD???

ms70

@keets said:
just so I have this right on all the "congrats" from members, every 1842-O Half-Dime has this RPD???

There was only one set of dies for this date, but due to die lapping some do not have it. See Yosclimbers post above.

yosclimber

Some might not have it.
(Short version of my very long post above )

keets

I think it's more accurate to state that they all have/had it but on some coins it isn't visible, if that makes sense.

weird.....................

to that end, since all the coins were apparently struck from the same dies..............never mind.

ms70

@keets said:
I think it's more accurate to state that they all have/had it but on some coins it isn't visible, if that makes sense.

weird.....................

to that end, since all the coins were apparently struck from the same dies..............never mind.

It's one of those things.... LOL....