1/2 Cent Variety Help

hookooekoo

I purchase a 1804 1/2 Cent today (ANACS Fine Details, Net VG 8 Corroded).

The label included C-13, which I assume is similar to a Sheldon number (i.e. die variety) for half cents.

I don't know the details about half cents, and I'm trying to catagorize by purchase based on Red Book listings.

RedBook lists 5 varieties for the 1804: Plain-Stemless, Plain-Stem, Crosslet-Stemless, Crosslet-Stem, and "Spiked chin".

It's obvious that the wreath on the reverse of this coin is stemless. However, the obverse is so worn that I can't tell for sure the type of "4" it is (Plain 4 or Crosslet 4). I think it is the Pain 4 based on the small size of the "hole" in the '4', but I was hoping that someone familiar with 1/2 cents could verify my catagorization based on C-13.

MrEureka

You'll find your answer here!

Louis

The crosslet 4 will have a serif at the right hand end of the horizontal part of the 4 and the plain 4 won't.

Louis

According to MrEureka's link the Cohen-13 is a plain 4, stemless reverse.

Edited to correct spelling.

hookooekoo

MrEureka,

Thanks a bunch. That's exactly what I needed.

Louis, I could tell from Red Book that the serif would tell the difference, but the coin is so worn and so dark, that I couldn't tell, especially since there is something there (like the starting of a die crack) that makes the 4 look like maybe it has a worn serif.

Based on MrEureka's link, I now know that C-13 is the Cohen number (Cohen 13) for this die variety, and yes, it is a "Plain-Stemless" variety.

Louis

Just trying to help. I am just learning about old copper and have Walter Breen's Encyclopedia of U.S. Half Cents that I was referring to, but MrEureka's link was much more helpful.