1795 Flowing Hair Half Dollar.... With Commentary
stman
Posts: 11,352 ✭✭✭✭✭
Just thought I'd share this one. I attributed the Overton variety as O-110a. I believe I got it right, but feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.
For those not familiar with the rarity rating it is an R-4, listed as "very scarce" estimated 81 to 200 specimens.
But that's not why I bought this piece. I really like the "Look" of it and while the image looks just like the coin looking straight on.... one quick tilt and it comes alive with much more color around the stars, and in the fields and such.
There is still traces of luster present in the protected areas. While I believe the reverse is a bit weakly struck, lacks some detail in other areas, on technical merits it might be over-graded a bit, regardless it didn't deter me from accepting the coin.This is one where originality, eye-appeal, and placing a value helped make my decision. These are tough to find with problem free surfaces and nice eye-appeal IMO. I search very hard trying to find them.
Also, there are some adjustment marks (mainly faint) along the outside edge on the reverse. A long time ago, something like this would bother me. But I am now intrigued by them a bit, as this is part of their history during the minting process. If the planchets were short in the weight department, they melted them down. If the planchets had excess weight, they used a file to remove excess metal to adjust the weight, leaving straight (sometimes long) file marks. Hence.... the term "Adjustment Marks." Now if they were on the obverse and going across the portrait (and distracting) that would be a different thing.
I wish I could show how it looks in it's best light, but this will have to do, hopefully you get the idea, and some folks can appreciate such a coin. It has a few neat die-breaks (cracks) on the obverse as well. Soooo
this is my feeble attempt to try and be a bit educational with my post, for anybody that wasn't familiar with this type of coin. Thanks for looking in, and feel free to post some of your own or add any information you care to.
For those not familiar with the rarity rating it is an R-4, listed as "very scarce" estimated 81 to 200 specimens.
But that's not why I bought this piece. I really like the "Look" of it and while the image looks just like the coin looking straight on.... one quick tilt and it comes alive with much more color around the stars, and in the fields and such.
There is still traces of luster present in the protected areas. While I believe the reverse is a bit weakly struck, lacks some detail in other areas, on technical merits it might be over-graded a bit, regardless it didn't deter me from accepting the coin.This is one where originality, eye-appeal, and placing a value helped make my decision. These are tough to find with problem free surfaces and nice eye-appeal IMO. I search very hard trying to find them.
Also, there are some adjustment marks (mainly faint) along the outside edge on the reverse. A long time ago, something like this would bother me. But I am now intrigued by them a bit, as this is part of their history during the minting process. If the planchets were short in the weight department, they melted them down. If the planchets had excess weight, they used a file to remove excess metal to adjust the weight, leaving straight (sometimes long) file marks. Hence.... the term "Adjustment Marks." Now if they were on the obverse and going across the portrait (and distracting) that would be a different thing.
I wish I could show how it looks in it's best light, but this will have to do, hopefully you get the idea, and some folks can appreciate such a coin. It has a few neat die-breaks (cracks) on the obverse as well. Soooo
this is my feeble attempt to try and be a bit educational with my post, for anybody that wasn't familiar with this type of coin. Thanks for looking in, and feel free to post some of your own or add any information you care to. Please... Save The Stories, Just Answer My Questions, And Tell Me How Much!!!!!
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Comments
Positive BST as a seller: Namvet69, Lordmarcovan, Bigjpst, Soldi, mustanggt, CoinHoader, moursund, SufinxHi, al410, JWP
<< <i>What grade did you buy it as? >>
Hi, I probably shouldn't have mentioned I felt it is a bit over-graded in my post. Many of these are, and I was really trying to get a point across that I merely determined if I liked the coin, and it was worth the value to me. I usually don't mention grades in my posts anymore, as it's really not important sometimes. I don't get as many replies because I don't say "Guess the grade" but that's OK.
Nice hair and feather detail, original surfaces.
super nice coin
Liberty: Parent of Science & Industry
<< <i>Nice coin. If you would just stop buying them, maybe one day I can find such a nice one. >>
LOL, well they don't come available too often. When they do one needs to jump on it quick. This went as soon as it was for sale, as most of them do when they are of any quality.
How does one get a hater to stop hating?
I can be reached at evillageprowler@gmail.com
That's a very, very nice example. Congratulations!
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