New Variety? 1796 Pinocchio Half dime

pcgs69

Not mine, and not associated with the seller. Saw this coin available for sale on eBay. Could this be a new "Pinocchio" variety? In all seriousness, the nose looks naturally made, but not sure I've seen any with the extra "bulb." What do you guys think?

CaptHenway

Possibly caused by whatever bent the coin.

Pnies20

Interesting. Very cool variety. Remember dreaming about getting one when i was little, parousing the red book.

TomB

There is a better date Barber half dollar also floating on ebay (at least it was recently) that is also in a PCGS slab and that has similar, yet somewhat more pronounced, damage on the nose.

yosclimber

Probably wear on the nose that extended the light color slightly into the field to the right?
https://www.pcgs.com/coinfacts/coin/1796-h10c-likerty/images/4254

ms70

I've seen that coin for sale for quite some time. I've never seen another like it. Something's going on there.

I'm not taking her to the prom.

santinidollar

Likerty?

WinLoseWin

@santinidollar said:
Likerty?

From PCGS CoinFacts here:

https://pcgs.com/coinfacts/coin/1796-h10c-likerty/4254

Ron Guth:
The 1796 Half Dime is the first year of the Draped Bust design type. It is a scarce date that it is at least as rare, if not more rare, than the 1794. Very few Mint State examples are known, the most notable of which is a single MS67 example that was first certified by PCGS in late 1989. The unusual "LIKERTY" variety was not a spelling error -- the "K" is actually a broken "B." The only other variety of this year is an overdate: 1796 over 5.

Varieties (2): Valentine 1 - "LIKERTY" - Scarce Valentine 2 - 1796/5 - Very Rare

Sources and/or recommended reading: "Federal Half Dimes 1792-1837" by Russell J. Logan and John W. McCloskey

santinidollar

@WinLoseWin said:

@santinidollar said:
Likerty?

From PCGS CoinFacts here:

https://pcgs.com/coinfacts/coin/1796-h10c-likerty/4254

Ron Guth:
The 1796 Half Dime is the first year of the Draped Bust design type. It is a scarce date that it is at least as rare, if not more rare, than the 1794. Very few Mint State examples are known, the most notable of which is a single MS67 example that was first certified by PCGS in late 1989. The unusual "LIKERTY" variety was not a spelling error -- the "K" is actually a broken "B." The only other variety of this year is an overdate: 1796 over 5.

Varieties (2): Valentine 1 - "LIKERTY" - Scarce Valentine 2 - 1796/5 - Very Rare

Sources and/or recommended reading: "Federal Half Dimes 1792-1837" by Russell J. Logan and John W. McCloskey

Learned something! Thanks.

ms70

@santinidollar said:

@WinLoseWin said:

@santinidollar said:
Likerty?

From PCGS CoinFacts here:

https://pcgs.com/coinfacts/coin/1796-h10c-likerty/4254

Ron Guth:
The 1796 Half Dime is the first year of the Draped Bust design type. It is a scarce date that it is at least as rare, if not more rare, than the 1794. Very few Mint State examples are known, the most notable of which is a single MS67 example that was first certified by PCGS in late 1989. The unusual "LIKERTY" variety was not a spelling error -- the "K" is actually a broken "B." The only other variety of this year is an overdate: 1796 over 5.

Varieties (2): Valentine 1 - "LIKERTY" - Scarce Valentine 2 - 1796/5 - Very Rare

Sources and/or recommended reading: "Federal Half Dimes 1792-1837" by Russell J. Logan and John W. McCloskey

Learned something! Thanks.

There is also the 1800 LIBEKTY Half Dime. A broken "R".

yosclimber

@WinLoseWin quoted Ron Guth from PCGS CoinFacts:
... The unusual "LIKERTY" variety was not a spelling error -- the "K" is actually a broken "B."

It was in the Red Book for years as LIKERTY.
But it turns out there are only gaps in the top and bottom of B on lower grade coins.
You can see the top and bottom of B have thin connecting lines in the photo of the Pogue coin above.
Perhaps the B punch was broken and the thin lines were a touch-up done by hand?
We see this sort of touch-up done later on some 1871 half dimes - in the top of D of UNITED.

The 1800 LM-3 "LIBEKTY" - the top of the R is open, even on high grade coins.

RINATIONALS

@CaptHenway said:
Possibly caused by whatever bent the coin.

Bent? But it's in a straight graded holder!

ricko

My impression, and I could be wrong, it that the nose issue is due to some slight handling damage.... Interesting, but not a mint issue. Cheers, RickO