Two Little Old Mint Sets: 1806; 1835

brianc1959

Actually, the 1835 isn't so little since it has several major varieties for the cent and half dime. My main interest is U.S. type coins, but I've been working on it by trying to complete a series of mint sets, and here are a couple of recent completions:
https://www.pcgs.com/setregistry/u-s-coins/mint-sets/1806-mint-set-gold/album/164048
https://www.pcgs.com/setregistry/u-s-coins/mint-sets/1835-mint-set-gold-major-varieties/album/170960
I chose these particular dates based on ease of completion plus how the coins would work in a type set.

LukeMarshall

Amazing , Thanks for sharing.. they are all very beautiful Coins!!

coinbuf

Wonderful sets, congrats.

alaura22

Loving the 35 set, great looking coins

calgolddiver

VERY NICE !!!

jmski52

I like what you've done!

jesbroken

Great idea and congratulations on some very nice coins.
Jim

golden

Very nice sets. I especially like the 1835 set.

Bikergeek

Gorgeous set! Well done. I'll attribute the 1835 half dimes by their Logan-McCloskey (LM) ids and comment a bit:

The Lg Dt / Lg 5c is, as your comments note, the LM-7, Rarity 3. This coin is absolutely a stunner. If I may be so bold, since I did look up the auction, you bought it quite well. TOP NOTCH.

The Lg Dt / Sm 5c is LM-5.2 R3. The ".2" indicates that it's the second time 1835 Obverse 3 and Reverse CC are paired. Reverse CC was used in LM-5.1, then paired with 1835 Obv 1 to emit LM-6, then back to Obv 3 for the LM-5.2. Interestingly, the very late state LM-5.2 gets a cud on the obverse and a cud on the reverse, which is pretty special. Your coin shows the die crack above the cap on the obverse that will later turn into a cud. The reverse cud is over D STATE, and with only two examples known, it's rated R8 (1 to 3 specimens).

Your Sm Dt / Lg 5 is an LM-8.1 R2. This remarriage, interestingly, has the second use of Reverse DD... and the first use of that reverse was with the LM-7, which you also have. By this time, the big clashes over the eagle have happened (and you'll see clashes on this small date Obverse 4, where the shield is visible in Liberty's portrait). This coin's also supposed to always have a die crack from the final A in AMERICA up to the rim, and frankly, I'm not sure I see that in you coin here. So I'm going to check my sources on that! The Reverse DD die ends its life in the 1836 LM-1.2 remarriage, its 7th use, by which time it has a huge cud.

Finally, your Sm/Sm is the ubiquitous LM-10 (R1). There was a hoard of these and a lot survived in pretty high grade, and I think they minted a fair number of the variety. Easily detected by the "8 high / 3 low" on the obverse. If you're upgrade-minded, you could set yourself a challenge to find a nice one without the upper loop in the last S of STATES filled. OR, you could look for an LM-11, which is an R4 marriage. You can tell it by the more even date, and the topmost arrowhead actually touching the final A in AMERICA. Here's the LM-10: https://www.pcgs.com/coinfacts/coin/1835-h10c-lm-10-sm-date-5c/38719
and here's LM-11: https://www.pcgs.com/coinfacts/coin/1835-h10c-lm-11-sm-date-5c/38720

etexmike

That is a great group of coins that you assembled. Congrats.

brianc1959

Thanks all for your kind comments!

Bikergeek: Thanks in particular for your in-depth analysis - your knowledge about the half dimes is pretty amazing. Based on your writeup I'm almost tempted to try for a complete variety set for the date, although LM-5.2 sounds essentially impossible. I am upgrade-minded for the Sm/Sm, as well as the dime and quarter-eagle, but other mint sets also beckon, such as 1810 and the very scary 1796. I appreciate your advice about interesting varieties, although one thing I've noticed is that even major varieties often get mis-attributed in this series, so I'll need to rely on knowledge I don't have yet.

Bikergeek

@brianc1959, a set of Logan-McCloskey varieties of capped bust half dimes for just 1835 would include other stoppers. Your 35 LM-5.2 wouldn't need to be upgraded to one of the very last coins minted for you to have a super nice set.

But yeah, if you did pursue LDS (late die state) examples, the LM-5.2 with both cuds would be tough indeed, for various reasons. Cuds in this series are popular and in demand, so they go fast. And the later the cud, the more obvious it is - drawing attention from those who act fast. Also, the LM-9.2 (yet another user of reverse DD!, the sixth and penultimate marriage before 1836 LM-1.2) has a sizable cud by the time it's done.

Another real stopper is one of the Sm Dt / Lg 5c varieties: LM-12. It's the newest marriage in the series, having just been discovered by a guy named Edgar Souders in 2007: https://forums.collectors.com/discussion/568921/new-die-marriage-of-1835-half-dime-discovered

To my knowledge, there's only one LM-12 that's straight-graded. The others are details (I have been privileged to own two of these, one of which is my current set piece). The straight-graded one in VF35 sold for a pretty serious amount a few years ago when the KDM set was liquidated and it's now in the Life After Cattle set.

If you do dig deeper into half dimes, this is a pretty good reference site: http://www.everythinghalfdimes.com/

I'm sure the half dollar guys would encourage you to get all the Overton varieties (for a year, or for the whole life of bust halves). And the dime folks would advocate same. etc. But these little half dimes have really caught my attention and I've gotten a lot of joy and accomplishment pursuing my set (and the obligatory upgrades).

And if you catch the fever and go in for the entire (now 124-coin) set, you and I will be looking to Iowa, where the one and only 1830 LM-9.3 lives... until another is discovered, and then another...

Manifest_Destiny

Nice!

WAYNEAS

Wayne