New Variety Discovery for U.S. Centennial Independence Hall with Trees So-Called Dollar HK-27

Zoins

While it's commonly known there are "Star" and "No Star" varieties of HK-27 to HK-29, the U.S. Centennial Independence Hall with Trees and Small Liberty Bell So-Called Dollar, a new finding is that there is a 5-pointed star variety along with the more common 6-pointed star variety.

I just noticed this and confirmed it with Jeff Shevlin. I wish it was done in time for his So-Called Dollars Volume 1 book, but it just means it's worth looking for more varieties has Volume 2 gets written.

The 5-pointed star variety seems to be much more rare than the 6-pointed star variety. Please check your So-Called Dollars and report what you have

This is documented in Private Mint News, with the key information below:

Ref: https://privatemintnews.com/articles/discovery_1876-hk-27-5-and-6-pointed-star-varieties/

Five-Pointed Star Variety Diagnostics

• five-pointed star
• bell crack traverses rings on bell shoulder
• comma between "LEVITICUS" and "XXV"
• foot of "F" in THEREOF is between "U" and "S" in "LEVITICUS"
• bell clapper between "C" and "U" in "LEVITICUS

Six-Pointed Star Variety Diagnostics

• six-pointed star
• bell crack does not traverse rings on bell shoulder
• no comma between "LEVITICUS" and "XXV"
• foot of "F" in THEREOF is after "S" in "LEVITICUS"
• bell clapper over "U" in "LEVITICUS

Of note, the photos for the 6-pointed star variety are from the Virgil Brand specimen.

ricko

@Zoins... Thanks for another interesting post. Just some anecdotal information - I have visited Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell three times.... I always seem to find myself running my fingers over the crack in the bell... Probably many others do the same. And when in the Hall, I try to find a quiet time with no, or few, visitors besides myself. I then try to imagine the voices of the founding fathers as they debated the Constitution and Bill of Rights contents. Cheers, RickO

Zoins

@ricko said:
@Zoins... Thanks for another interesting post. Just some anecdotal information - I have visited Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell three times.... I always seem to find myself running my fingers over the crack in the bell... Probably many others do the same. And when in the Hall, I try to find a quiet time with no, or few, visitors besides myself. I then try to imagine the voices of the founding fathers as they debated the Constitution and Bill of Rights contents. Cheers, RickO

That's very cool @ricko! I hope I'll have a chance to do that in the future.

One theory has that the bell received its first crack in 1752 when it was tested on arrival in Philadelphia. Its final ring was in 1846 when it stopped ringing. So, the crack could have grown for almost 100 years from 1752 to 1846.

What's interesting about these varieties is that crack is of different lengths! The crack grows larger with the following progression. It's also interesting that the 6-pointed star was used in 1876 but now the 5-pointed star is more popular.

1. no star - half way up
2. 6-pointed star - beneath shoulder rings
3. 5-pointed star - crosses shoulder rings

Zoins

It's fun to make these new major variety discoveries, like the one made by @GoldenEgg for the Albany Bicentennial here:

https://forums.collectors.com/discussion/1055074/a-so-called-so-called-dollar-1886-albany-bicentennial

It's not easy to make major variety discoveries with coins which are more mature, but amazing to do with So-Called Dollars as the varieties have very significant differences.

Zoins

For the use of both 5 and 6-pointed stars, In 1876, the GW-915 HK-70a So-Called Dollar by Soley used both 5 and 6-pointed stars. The large star is a 6-pointed star while the small ones are 5-pointed stars.