Seated Liberty Half Dollars - Hardest to find top 10 date/ mm?
Leeroybrown
Posts: 462 ✭✭✭✭✭
As I continue to progress in my pursuit of the Seated Liberty half dollar set, I just wondered from everyone out there what their top 10 or so hardest to find Seated halves are? Feel free to share more than 10 if you would like, but I just wanted to know which are the biggest milestones to capture when you actually do. Obviously, we can exclude the few dates where there are only a few examples that exist. Also, FYI… If you could make it relevant to circulated seated halves, that would be great as that is the grade level, but I am trying to build my set (G-VF).
Feel free also, to elaborate on why you chose the coins that you chose and your experience out in the marketplace on this matter.
Thanks in advance!!!
See also an update to my set pursuits below. Let me know if you wanna see pics of any:
x 39 no drap VG
x 39 -P VG.
x 41-P VG+
x 42-P F15.
x 43-O G
x 44-O G.
x 45-O VG.
x 46-O VG+
x 47-O G+.
x 48-O G+
x 49-P G.
x 50-O G.
x 51-O VG.
x 53-P AG03
x 53-O AG03
x 54-P VF+
x 54-O VF+
x 55-P VG
x 56-O VG
x 57-O AG03
x 58-O VF+
x 58-P G
x 59-P VG
x 60-O XF
x 61-P VF+
x 61-O F15 103/104 csa
x 61-S VG
x 62-S G.
x 63-S AG03.
x 64-S F12.
x 65-P VG.
x 65-S AG03
x 66-S G04.
x 67-P. G04.
x 68-s G04.
x 69-P G
x 71-P G
x 73-P VG+
x 73-P G CLD 3
x 74-p G+.
x 74-S VF30/ slab error 71-S
x 75-P G
X 75-S G
x 76-P Fair
X 76-S G
x 76-CC AG03
x 77-S VG.
x 77-CC G04
x 79-P F12.
x 84-P VG8.
x 91-P AG03
Comments
Looking forward to hearing the comments. I have my top seated quarter ideas, and they aren't necessarily according to price. The 60-s for instance is vastly overrated.
I'm not a seated half guy but aside from ultra rarities like the 53-o NA and 42 rev 39 (and 78-s of course), I'd bet the 40(o), 51, 70-cc, and 73 NA are in the top 10.
how bout the 74-s.
In my registry set, I have 98 out of the 113 needed. For me, the 10 toughest were the below dates in eye appealing circulated condition:
1865-S
1865
1864-S
1864
1850
1851
1855-S
1852
1885
1841
1852-O is also very tough, I have an XF-40 in my set but it's only a 'meh' in the eye appeal department.
10-4,
My Instagram picturesErik
My registry sets
I cannot be specific about the grade range you have posted. I can speak from experience when it comes to attractive 35-45 circulated coins. this is my list
1873-s
1851
1852
1851-o
1852-o
1841
1846-o tall date
1845
1848
1873-cc no arrows
not necessarily in that order. that is just how they fell out of my brain. james
My collection is predominantly XF & AU.
Top 'ten':
46-O tall date
51-O
52-O
57 & 57-O
70-CC
71-CC
73-CC No Arr
73-S
74-S
87
I completed this set (no 1878-S) in Jan. 2001 at the Jan. Florida fun show by purchasing the 1851. My set is in the XF40-45 range.
The following dates were the toughest for me to find in nice appearing problem free XF range:
1851-P
1850-P
1852-P
1839 No Drapery
1839 Drapery
1855-S
1856-S
1870-CC
1871-CC
1862-P - This is a very underrated date. There are plenty of 1862-S's around, but the 1862-P is a bugger. If you need an 1862-P and see a nice one-buy it as there aren't many around. This is from my experience of putting this set together from 1975-2001.
I need far more than 10, but my top 10 are very similar to most listed.
1841 P O, 1851 P O, 1852 P O, 1873 NA CC S, 1874 CC, 1878 CC
I have only limited experience in the seated half category but I know 46-o tall date should be pretty far up the list.
https://www.the4thcoin.com
https://www.ebay.com/str/thefourthcoin
Someone listed the first three years from San Fran. I forgot about those. They should be on all lists. One coin I also forgot to mention was the 1842-O. I challenge anyone to find a coin more difficult to find in attractive condition. I ended up settling for a PCGS that had considerable salt water corrosion. Ten years later I came to the realization that my coin was a beauty pageant winner compared to all the later coins I came across, James
There are some condition rarities that are almost impossible to find in higher Mint state like the 52-o.
But from a pure date scarcity standpoint I would have:
42o small dt
51
52
52o
55s
56s
7occ
73cc no arrow
73s
74cc
Well, of those knowledgeable experts to seated halves that chimed in, please see below the TOP 9 that received the most mentions:
• 51, 52, 52-O (5 outta 6 mentions)
• 73-CC no arrows (4 outta 6 mentions)
• 55-S, 41, 73-S, 51, 70-CC (3 outta 6 mentions)
Do you all agree with this list of 9 for HARDEST DATES TO FIND?
Check out the slide decks here for ideas on this question from The Liberty Seated Collectors Club. They have a presentation on the most underrated and overrated issues - see slide 17 specifically.
http://www.lsccweb.org/Education.shtml
Just for curiosity sake I looked up the current population of coins slabbed by PCGS. 8 of the 9 coins on your final list have a population below 200 coins. only the 73-cc NA exceeds that number. (pop 216).
the 3 coins that would deserve reconsideration based on this perspective would be:
1842-O sm date 95.
1846-O tall date 108.
1857-S 132.
there are are 12 other dates that also have less than 200 coins slabbed. James
And, then if you care about CAC, many varied dates would be included after looking at their pop reports.
"Got a flaming heart, can't get my fill"
A problem I have with making this list is the earlier I found the coin, the easier it's going to seem to me. For instance, I found a nice 1851 and the decent 1846-O tall date in VF35 and EF40 that I liked very early on in collecting SLHs so they don't seem difficult. So, I'll list the coins that emerged through my searches as difficult to find as well as those that were the last for me to acquire but I've passed on some nice examples.
The 41, 48, and 73-S surprised me with their scarcity.
1841 - underbid on a raw EF with nice toning because I didn't appreciate how scarce this coin is. I found an attractive PCGS VF25 replacement on eBay many years later.
1842-O SD - never really went after it until recently, always considered it a special coin as the rare (attainable) date among the small letters reverse SLHs
1848 - later purchase - never noticed a nice one. Purchased a PCGS VF35 CAC with weird dark indigo toning from GFRC in the past few years.
1850 - later purchase
1852 - later purchase and cycling rarer than the 51 right now - I'm looking for a nice VF. I'm "stuck" with an AU58 CAC.
1852-O - later purchase, nice grab off eBay - a dipped, hairlined, CAC-stickered coin, but I like it for the great price.
1857-S - tough date, a long road detailed elsewhere to find an example I like. A chopmarked coin!
1870-CC - Purchased and returned one 15 years ago and haven't looked much until recently.
1879 - laziness after letting a nice EF get away (missed the close). I'm still letting them slip away until I find the right one.
1882 - didn't notice one until recently, difficult to find
1887 - Just difficult to find in circulated grades
The others such as the 1840-(O), 1846-O TD, 1851-P, 1856-S, 74-CC, 78-CC, and '80's dates were picked up raw early on ('51 at HA) when I encountered nice, raw specimens.
I'll add the unanimous choice. The 1878-S.
You certainly have an impressive collection Barberian. Your set is more sophisticated and complete than the one I built. I agree though that luck plays a role. I can give examples of dumb, good and bad luck.
DUMB. The first coin I purchased was an 1877 NGC AU-55. So long ago (1997) I purchased it from a Coin World Ad. This became my primary reference coin. Just enough wear to show where to look for initial wear. Plenty of detail left so for a 35-45 set you can easily see the details missing. It is safe to say I looked (IN DETAIL) at this coin at least 1,000 times.
In 2017 I purchased a copy of the Official Red Book on Liberty Seated Coins. I try to be aware of any and all varieties and facts about the series I collect. Somehow I missed that there was an 1877/6 variety until I saw it in that book. I almost fainted when I discovered my coin was the variety. On one hand it was wonderful. When covid hit in March of 2020 my self employed income flat lined for 2 years. That was a wonderful windfall. On the other hand ANY time I think I know something about Seated Halves I think of how many times I saw that coin yet didn't see it.
GOOD. I landed my 1873-S Seated Half for only $184.00 Dollars (Buyer fee included) in 2007.
The coin was in a Tuesday Heritage Auction but the holder did not show the mintmark. Somehow God blinded the entire rest of the world and I won an XF-40 because I was the only one who noticed that S nestled under the Eagle.
BAD. From day one I made getting ALL the New Orleans coins a major goal. I made the 1852-O job one. Over the next 10 or 12 years I bid on numerous low grade coins. At one point I got so desperate I bid $1,000 Dollars on a G-4 coin and STILL lost. Then one day I was looking at E-Bay (A venue I never used) and was shocked to discover one person had won ALL the coins I bid on. They took coins they won for say 700 to 800 and then marked them up to 2,500 (Coins in AG-3 to F-12) to 5,000. I watched for a few years but they never sold a single coin and I eventually lost interest. I also later tried to war fund a better grade coin in the VF range but the market had a drought for 3 to 4 years. In the end I was forced to sell three quarters of my collection because of Covid so it became a moot point. James
I stopped collecting Seated halves a few years back, outside of a quick acquisition of an 1855-S in XF45 and an 1851-P in AU58 when they were suddenly sitting in front of my eyes. The halves look less attractive to me at current prices than they did 20 years ago, and the competition seems to have ramped up tenfold.
There are "obviously tough" dates that cost a lot (1855-S, 1870-CC, 1878-s, etc.) and "sleeper" dates that don't cost as much, yet they seldom turn up in wholesome VF20 to AU58. I would put all of the 1862 through 1868 P mints in the "sleeper" category in VF20-AU58. They exist, but very few of them have the original look that forumites cherish. I lucked my way into a nice 1867-P in AU, but it took me forever and a day to get a so-so 1866-P in XF that is now in a PCGS holder. My 1865-P is just VF20. These coins are possibly overlooked because they don't have the tiny mintages of the half dimes, dimes, and quarters from those years.
You are probably right Rhedden. I never set out to build a complete set so never learned this. You are right too when you say the San Fran coins get all the attention from that time period. I was not aware of how hard some of these dates might be because for the most part I went with the coins that offered the most selection and that of course was the San Fran coins.
In addition to my San Fran coins I did get Philly coins 1862, 1863, 1866 and 1867. my 62 and 66 were both low grade coins (vg/f). My 63 was a choice 45. The only one I still own is my 1867. The sole reason I still own it is because it is a DGS-40 holder and G.C,. doesn't accept them. Not because of any insight by me. I would be curious though as to whether you think they are conditional rare or if you think their is a good supply of low grade coins? James
P.S. My 1867 is a very strong coin and can hold it's own with several 45 coins from my set.
I am in general agreement about most of the dates and mints mentioned in this thread. However, I have found that certain dates and mints cycle through as more difficult at different times due to what I assume is hoarding activity. I recall when the 1851 seemed exceedingly difficult to find and many rated it much rarer than the 1852. Then it became clear that there were a few die marriage collectors who had quite a few and dealer Dick Osburn also had a small hoard. Once his hoard was disbursed it seemed like you could generally find an 1851 with much more frequency. I have noticed several dates and mints that now appear to be very hard to find but weren't nearly as hard to find 15 or 20 years ago. As stated, given that there are many dates and mints with only a few hundred slabbed examples, making a small mini hoard is quite doable, especially with a little time and patience.
Die marriage collectors also impact LSCC survey results as looking at raw data you might infer that a date like the 1873-S is super rare compared to say an 1856-S or 1857-S, but then if you think a die marriage collector will only keep one example of a 73-S but will have have four to six examples of the 56-S and 57-S you can see how the gross survey numbers could be misleading and highlight a date for hoarding that may or may not be a good candidate. Don't get me wrong the 73-S is still a hard coin, but it highlights the fact that there are some serious die marriage collectors who will eventually disburse their holdings and some perceived rarity estimates might change.
Seated Dollar Collection
Your logic sounds quite solid Southcounty. The only other thing I would add to the general discussion is that the slab populations (I think), can deceive people. What I mean by that is a coin like the 1873 NA can end up with a larger population (making it look more common), just because of it's reputation. On the other hand a coin like 1845 can be under represented because people might not think slabbing lower grades is worth the money.
I always find it interesting to see what kind of spread and sizes there are to some coins. This doesn't just pertain to Seated Halves, but I am sometimes surprised by how many low grade coins one date might show, while another is top heavy and makes it look like the vast majority of coins are 50 or better.
Nice post. Thanks for the very kind words, but honestly, there are a lot of sketchy coins in my collection as well. It's a rather odd, mostly raw eBay-collection intended for a Dansco, but I like it. I'm sorry you were financially hurt by covid and had to sell. I hope you're doing well now.
Seated halves are a long, tough set to complete and I love to hear the 'war stories,' particularly the 'victories' like spotting the minute S on a 73-S and acquiring the know-how to recognize an amazing windfall such as a AU55 77/76 in your collection. Remember that even the experts at NGC whiffed on that overdate.
My 1873-S story is quite different from yours. My winning bid on eBay was the highest price paid for an EF40 on Coin Facts at that time. It was also a great purchase, as I have confidence in the seller's eye (ARCO), and an EF40 73-S is underpriced. Even today. It's my Barberian ".999Ag-lock" Coin Pick of the Month!
The 39 ND is one of my BAD stories.
They're scarce dates, and particularly in higher (>VF) grades. I was aware of the Philly dates; I was surprised by some of the San Francisco dates. That part of my collection is very uneven from lack of attention, with some low-grade coins and a problem coin.
I don't know your (Barberian) collecting experience, or that of anyone else. My personal collecting experience has always been limited by the fact that I live in a rural area that has no coin shops. I have never been to a coin show in my entire life. I am too chicken to use E-Bay and very rarely look at any coins there. With the exception of a small group of coins from Dick Osburn ALL of my coins are slab purchases.
The above facts put me at a certain disadvantage. How common are Seated Halves at a coin show? For someone who regularly attends the ANA show or the big shows in Florida and California, are Seated Halves abundant? Are there a number of dealers with low grade raw coins? I can imagine some coins might appear quite common if there are dozens of low grade coins lying around in cases. James
P.S. I would say having a variety of grades high and low in your collection is a blessing.
I have always strived to have as many grades as possible in any set I collect.
I noticed that only one person mentioned the 1878 CC Half. I always thought that was quite a difficult year/MM to find, but apparently this is not the case?
. How common are Seated Halves at a coin show? For someone who regularly attends the ANA show or the big shows in Florida and California, are Seated Halves abundant? Are there a number of dealers with low grade raw coins? I can imagine some coins might appear quite common if there are dozens of low grade coins lying around in cases. James
Most dealers only have a few common dates, if that. You need to go to a dealer who is into seated and/or bust coins such as Dick Osborn, Gerry Fortin, Brian Greer, Larry Briggs etc. I also got a quite a few of the rarer dates from the late Jimmy O' Donnell. A local coin show usually will not have the rarer dates. These types of dealers are usually at only the big shows such as FUN, Baltimore, ANA, etc.
Thanks for that feedback rec78. I have spent a great deal of time pondering how some coins get the tag "common". The only working theory I could come up with was that there were a number of lower grade coins floating around and a small pool of people chasing them. James
My collecting experience is somewhat similar in that I didn't go to a coin show for over 30 years. I collected off eBay though for the majority of my coins because it's a huge market at my fingertips. My local coin shop is excellent for purchasing bullion and junk silver, but nothing else in my interests.
SLH are concentrated at shows among a handful of dealers: Larry Briggs, Brian Greer, and Gerry Fortin are three that usually attend shows. Darryl Kreis (Amwrldcoin) usually has some seated coins. Others will be scattered around the bourse. I would suggest Larry Briggs and Brian Greer for finding lower grade, raw SLH. Heck, I have some for sale. I/m sure others do as well. What are you looking for?
Ediited to add that I wrote this a while ago and just rediscovered the draft.
Somehow I missed this, and I think it's an excellent counterargument against 73-S rarity.
I decided to check the TOTAL numbers of specimens graded by PCGS for each date:
1873-S - 120
1857-S - 127
1852-P - 131
1855-S - 133
1851-P - 154
1856-S - 166
1866-S NM - 239
Surprising! We all know these counts are inaccurate to a degree because of multiple submissions but these results further support the 1873-S as being an undervalued date.
Are you arguing that a greater percentage of 56-Ss and 57-Ss will have been graded than 73-Ss because of the attention of DM collectors? That price for the 56-S and 57-S is elevated from DM collecting? I'd never considered that. How often do EF-AU coins of each date show up at auction?
I don't see those dates as particularly attractive for DM collectors, though, but I don't speak for all DM collectors. The 57-S DMs feature only the large mintmark, while the 56-S only has two mintmark sizes. The differences between DMs for both dates are subtle. There are no major die breaks that will attract the die break enthusiasts.
That may be hypocritical of me, though, because I collect 74-CC die marriages and the differences are slight for that date as well. I also have increased the number and percentage of slabbed 74-CCs by have one raw coin graded and the DM attributed. I did that as well for the 56-S and the 57-S. I purchased my 73-S already graded.
How about 1839 WB-2 no drapery. Only 1 graded by PCGS and it is a Au50 details grade and none by NGC.
The 1873-S is definitely a semi key and was historically undervalued. Part of the reason for the lower pops in my opinion is that because historically it wasn't view as rare compared to the early S mints, which in turn held the price down which also resulted in less incentive to submit 73-S coins in the lower grades as compared to say a 55-S. This would also keep the pop numbers for 73-S lower as more 55-S coins were slabbed because of the perceived higher rarity and price justification. I believe the 73-S is starting to get more attention and the price is starting to reflect that, although it falls on my list of coins that were more available in the past that are now surprisingly more difficult to find.
I have also seen survey data from the LSCC used in support of the rarity of the 73-S compared to the early S mints but my previous point was that die marriage collectors will obviously keep more examples. So if the LSCC survey says there were only 37, 55-S halves in collections compared to 35, 73-S halves so they are equally rare you would be mistaken as it only takes a small number of die marriage collectors to skew the number of coins kept and reported. While the early S mints aren't as popular as other dates with more die cracks or mint mark sizes they do have a dedicated following and the smaller number of die marriages makes them more attainable and manageable in some ways. Even if there were only five complete S mint die marriage collections and assuming that each collector kept and reported only one example that would result in five 1873-S coins showing up on a census report, but 20 55-S & 57-S coins, and 30 56-S coins. I think the 73-S is difficult, especially in the higher grades and it should be up there with the early S mint coins but it is not significantly rarer.
Seated Dollar Collection
Yes, I've used it to suggest it is underrated. I understand what you're saying here and think it's an excellent point, but the numbers don't show what you're saying and this is an LSCC survey where one would think that would include DM collectors. LSCC members in the last survey were asked to give a count for each date and mm by grade. That's how the last San Francisco survey was run, and that's how the 1994 survey was run. Are people not reporting the coins they have? I was eager to report them.
I thought the EF40 57-S would have been an $1800 coin by now, post COVID. It really hasn't moved much in 13 years, and the recent assumed price climb is largely unsupported by auction results so far. My experience with this coin and it's pricing has been way out of alignment. I reject a VF35 at $485 for graffiti and it sells months later for $900. An EF40 comes along in 2019 and I'm losing bidder at $1490.01 (I vowed not to go over $1500). So, I think it's a really hot coin and the value goes nowhere, remaining at around $1000-1100. And now the 1856-S is the tougher coin in EF40 than the 57-S?
I would be curious South county when you first started collecting Seated coins. It would be interesting to hear how collecting was when you started and how you feel some things have changed.
I first started to focus on Seated coins around 1998. For me there are three primary things I have noticed. The first is that the late date 1879-1890 Seated Halves seemed stuck in time when I made my date set. That is to say the auction prices seemed to stay unchanged for years and years. those days seem long gone. Second was that like a fellow named Jim Gray (I think) wrote in an article, he was quite surprised to see how many attractive coins there seemed to be on the market when he was building his own set and then tried to repeat it 20 years later only to find attractive coins seemed few and far between. The last is the amount and demand for coins in details holders. I can remember detail coins sitting on sites like Great Collections and in dealer inventories month after month. Now that market seems extremely fluid both with coin prices and availability. One foot note. I can't prove it but I think there has been an upsurge in people collecting Seated Quarters. This to me seems to be another area that was in moth balls for ever but has become more popular lately. Just my opinion. james
I'm glad I completed my Seated 25c by date/mm this past year, so I won't be trying to fill any holes going forward. It seems that availability of fresh material dropped off dramatically during 2022-2023, and the filling of holes is now an arduous waiting game. Seated 50c have followed the same general trend over the years. In the 1980s, they were generic "Type Coins" to a dealer except for the handful of better dates listed at a premium in the Redbook. Since 2005,collectors have shifted from seeking nice VF/XF/AU coins raw to waiting for months for one to pop up in a TPG holder at multiples of their former price.
If only I had a chunk of money to buy nice Seated material in the 1990s when I was young and bright enough to know these coins were seriously undervalued, I'd have one heck of a collection. (Doesn't every long-time collector say the same thing, though?) I remember looking at price guides in 1996-97 thinking I'd love to complete a Seated 25c set, but it would be a real stretch to buy the 1870-CC, 1871-CC, and 1873-CC. Maybe I could fork over $3,000 apiece for F-12 examples once I got out of school, or just invest $1,000 to $1,500 each for G-4 examples? Oh, but what I actually paid for those three coins when I finally had the money... Opportunity knocks, but it is fleeting.
seatedlib3991 said:
"Someone listed the first three years from San Fran. I forgot about those. They should be on all lists. One coin I also forgot to mention was the 1842-O. I challenge anyone to find a coin more difficult to find in attractive condition. I ended up settling for a PCGS that had considerable salt water corrosion. Ten years later I came to the realization that my coin was a beauty pageant winner compared to all the later coins I came across, James"
Here is my example, CAC pop 2/4:
End Systemic Elitism - It Takes All Of Us
ANA LM
LSCC
EAC
FUN
The 1868-s 50C was super tough. It was a POP 11/1 coin but that was totally untrue. I spent 20 years looking for that coin in M66. Once I got it I went back and found all the auction records. It was actually a pop 2/0 that someone cracked 10 times to get the plus. I own the MS66 and someone else owns the 66+. Big credit to NGC and PCGS for actually listening and looking at the documentation and correcting the POPS. I will say this is one of the reasons I do not like GC for an auction house. Heritage, Stacks, Legend, Dl document very well and that is important.
@edwardjulio great looking 42-O small date, WB-1. I concur that it is very difficult, to locate either the WB-1 or WB-2, in attractive condition. I was fortunate to locate WB-2 that I liked.
@LJenkins11
Very nice.
End Systemic Elitism - It Takes All Of Us
ANA LM
LSCC
EAC
FUN
Both 42-Os are very nice. I didn't realize they're so hard to find in good shape. Harder than the 1855-S?
Mine is a brown shoe leather ICG VG10 with equal to less than VF20 wear except where the dies are poor. The strange grade with the poor die got me curious about grading, die quality, and how it plays out with this date for both die marriages. WB-1 is often poor, but WB-2 may be poor as well. It suggests some negligence in cleaning the dies - I'll have to run that past RWB in the other board.
The WB-2 is considered an R3 by Bill Bugert. PCGS is just starting to add attributions to PCGS Coin Facts, so there are going to be a lot of VERY LOW counts for die marriages and some low-grade plate coins for some DMs as well. I enjoy glorying in my "TOP POP" 1/0 WB1 74-CC in Good 6 with a rim ding. I'm also have "TOP POP" coins for some common varieties of common dates simply because I was the first person to pay $18 to have them attributed.
A F15 is a TOP POP for an R4 die marriage? I don't think so.
Very nice coins per above. I must admit to being in the shallow end of the pool (and will probably stay there) when it comes to these seated halves. I do keep my eyes open and have a couple of semi-ok pieces including an 1872 S from an European auction that may make it to 62/3 level - nothing like these coins however.
Perhaps the prices of the better dates in EF-AU will drop a bit? I don't know the series, that is for sure.
Well, just Love coins, period.
Thinking about this further, the increased differential in numbers observed for early "S" dates and the 73-S in LSCC surveys, in conjunction with the price for coins other than the 73-S may be the expected pattern here. I have to ask myself, "what would the shape of these curves look like exactly?", and I concede that I don't know. I guess I'd expect greater numbers for the early "S" coins than were observed. These surveys are interesting but sketchy, so few participate compared to overall membership. My mind has been thoroughly blown by the price dynamics going on with these coins and hoarding seems like a very good explanation. DM collectors do hammer certain dates. I have about a dozen 40-Os, a date that is popular with SLH die collectors.
As an aside, purchasing a series of Redbooks to get sense of price changes over time might be useful. Len Augsburger's price gain tables for select seated coins using Redbook data was informative for me. A similar analysis of these dates may capture some of these shifts in availability and price between these dates.
I really really really need a nice 42-O.
"Got a flaming heart, can't get my fill"
Yes, in this case, it might be what the data doesn't tell us that matters most and to be perfectly clear on my previous point if the 1873-S had four die marriages instead of just the one, I can guarantee that the number of total coins reported on the LSCC survey for 1873-S would have been higher.
Not that it matters, but for those surveys I have only been reporting my slabbed examples to keep things easier on everyone involved and I have duly noted it to the data gatherers. I might not do that for the other mints.
1840-O is such a great date to collect by die marriage, I can't be certain, but I might have the only complete die marriage set, there might possibly be one more so far as I know.
One of my favorites:
Seated Dollar Collection
I'm only missing two DMs: WB-2 and WB-15. Well, three because I haven't bought that WB-14 yet. I may not because it's cleaned, and I'm easing up on coin purchases right now. How common are WB-14s? All the other R5 or greater DMs
The WB-15 I don't worry about because if it shows up on eBay or elsewhere, its mm position yells "Grab me!" (similar to WB-6, 8, 9, all supposedly scarce DMs)
Others I don't have that are easy pickups: WB-5, WB-11 with die breaks, and WB-12. None are graded except the WB-3 (P25), WB-4 (P20) and a VF-details "scratch" WB-13. Most are less than $200 and several have been wiped or messed with in some way. Most could use an upgrade to a more natural look. Particularly the WB-6 (
).
WB-8
WB-13
Your WB-1 is a circulated gem! Really nice! My WB-1 is nowhere near as nice. It's VG-F, likely dipped in the past, and has a scuff on the rim that was hidden by the seller. Fortunately, I don't have a picture of it to compare with your coin, though I checked.
The 70-CC, 74-CC, and 78-CC numbers (with # of DMs) in the 1992 survey are: 37 (5), 32 (3), 31 (1).
The 70-CC meets your expectations well as I understand them. Those are some hard-core DM collectors. So does the 78-CC. The 74-CC seems to have no die marriage collectors. Looking at the registry, they all seem content with WB-3, and particularly the "railroad track" reverse. I'll have all three DMs if I can find an inexpensive WB-2, but not a pricey RR reverse.