FUN Newps Part 1

Desert Moon

Hi Folks,
I have begun the process of imaging my FUN newps and will start posting them here. I usually have a lot to say so will split into separate threads, plus, it takes me time to get the images. The images here are preliminary, I usually make the first round, then go back after I see what needs to be done to improve.

Newp 1. This is the last purchase at FUN as I was going out the door. This is the second 1841-O half dime I have owned. I love the colors on it. It is weakly struck on the centers of the devices, but that does not bother me as these are uncommon half dimes and I am looking for eye appeal and reasonable originality. This one was probably held back a grade bc of the strike, okay by me. CAC has stickered a total of 27 of these, ONLY 5 graded higher than this one, and this is the only 1 in 63. PCGS it is population 5 with only 9 higher. So this is truly an uncommon finding. It was tilted in the holder making it difficult to get perfect focus across each side for the images. You think TPG's would have figured out how to level coins in prong holders by now? But no. Thanks for that............. So this one will go to CACG to autocross into their holder when they open for submissions with the hope that they are better at this than the competition.

This is die marriage V5 according to the @yosclimber attribution site. The die crack going below U and through the leaves on the reverse is the marker for this die marriage. There are also marker cracks through A in STATES and and I in AMERICA. The weak strike especially center reverse may indicate that this was pretty late in the minting of these but I am speculating here. The image of the one on Yos' site has a much fuller strike. V5 is an R5 according to Yosclimber census.

The story about my first 1841-O half dime. I got it at auction in an NGC MS61 holder. Nice bulls eye toning blue on the rims and progressing in color inward. Great looking coin. But it had two pieces of gunk at 6-8 O'clock along the rim of the reverse that was clearly lying above the surface. I figured it could be removed without harming the coin or toning (like using a toothpick to remove?) so sent it in to NCS for conservation. It came back and I was in shock bc sure they removed the stuff, but the whole SW quadrant was now blast while while the other 3 quadrants were nicely toned still. For consolation (I thought) it was now in a 62+ holder. I figured what the heck and sent it in a batch to CAC. I nearly fell over when it beaned. Was it not obvious to anyone the blatant removal of surface toning? Yikes. I then crossed it to PCGS MS62 and got it rebeaned as this is automatic in a new holder same grade. So the next FUN at that time, I took my ex N62+/CAC, now P62/CAC half dime to sell and made a nice profit. It is now PCGS 63 (no CAC) so that dealer or someone upgraded it LOL.......... Enough said about NGC overgrading folks and this won't make you buy-ins happy I am sure. Forgettaboutit.

The next newp was a CRO EB pick at the FUN show. It is an 1818 B8 in P55/CAC. It is my 2nd B8 in that grade, the new one is shown below and the other one below the first. What I liked about the new duplicate is all of the die clashes and of course the nice toning. I thought that made it a late die state. Turns out no. The die crack going from the rim and through the leaves left of 25C on the reverse make the other one the late die state. That crack also shows a die chip within and below the leaf that developed after the dies were lapped to remove all of the clashes (or, faded as noted by Rea et al.). So these dies went through a nice progression including some maintenance and then reused. Pretty cool.

There are 209 1818 capped bust quarters that have been CACed. 8 in 55, and 31 higher. So these are plentiful relative to the half dime above, but, this represents 9 die marriages, the 1818/5 B1 is separate in the pop count. The B8 is R3, so there are 300-400 extant. The 1818/5 is R2, so 750-1000 extant or about 2.5 times more common than the B8. B1 has beaned 50 times. Assuming equal bean rates, that would put about 20 B8's in the CAC census. A 55 puts the B8 20th in the condition census in the Rea et al. Bust Quarter book. So out of the 1818's in CAC at higher grades (31) and the number of extant quarters for the other 1818 die marriages, up to a few of the CAC 1818 quarters in higher grade must be B8's, probably something like 3 to 5. But it still puts my 2 in 55 near the top. In either case I like them both and love it when I can get great looking coins of the same die marriage in different die states.

Best, SH

pursuitofliberty

Loved reading your FUN comments this weekend and love the newp's.

That's a fine pair of 1818 B-8's. Congratulations!

I love the look and die state of the one you had first (second picture) as I cherish both VLDS and that look, but I also love the new one too for the clashing and wonderful color.

asheland

Great write up! Definitely a breath of fresh air compared to some of the other threads, I won’t mention any names, but that show pocket change

That half dime is sweet! The quarters, too! I thought my 1818 quarter was nice, those blow mine away !

Great pick ups! 👍

Pnies20

Those quarters are unbelievable

Desert Moon

Thanks for the comments folks.

ricko

@spacehayduke ... Thanks for the report and detailed coin descriptions. Nice pictures too. Cheers, RickO

scubafuel

Great quarters SH! I hadn’t seen your other piece before but it’s beautiful. Wonderful original look.

Thanks for the meetup and drinks at fun, I’m already looking forward to the 2024 edition.

WAYNEAS

Those are great photos to me of some very nice coins.
I will anxiously wait for the newer versions.
Wayne

Desert Moon

@scubafuel said:
Great quarters SH! I hadn’t seen your other piece before but it’s beautiful. Wonderful original look.

Thanks for the meetup and drinks at fun, I’m already looking forward to the 2024 edition.

We gotta make next year bigger, more folks from here. Was a great 2 hours tho'. That MS65 bust halve your friend had was stunning as was your plus sized gold piece..........

Best, SH