Thanks to a board member the 1812/1 Large 8

GOLDSAINT

Several weeks ago one of our members posted a thread on Pinnacle Rarities list of 25 interesting and undervalued coins. Here is what Pinnacle said about the 1812/1 Large 8.

“With the exception of the excessively rare 1817/4, the 1812/1 Large 8 is the rarest collectible Bust Half Dollar. Known to specialists as the Overton-101 variety, this issue is very scarce in all grades with an estimated 50-60 pieces known. What few people other than specialists realize is just how rare this variety is in grades above Very Fine. None are known in Uncirculated and just three or four AU’s are accounted for. While it is not likely that an example of this variety can be cherrypicked (i.e. bought unattributed as a common variety) it is possible that it might be underpriced by a generalist dealer who does not appreciate its true rarity.”

Here is a description from another specialist,
“O-101. Extremely scarce in any grade particularly above XF! NGC has graded a single AU53, an AU55, and an AU58. PCGS has graded nothing finer than AU50.”

After many days of lip biting, gnashing of teeth, pacing of floors, I decided it was time to add this coin to my set. Below is the AU 53 NGC I purchased. Literally the most expensive coin I have purchased to date.

RYK

Nice pick-up.

LeeG

"SWEET" Coin and congrat's on adding it to your collection!!! Enjoy, Lee

Dennis88

Very nice

Baley

Quite a score, congratulations!
1812 a very historic year, a personal favorite of mine
(did you know that only 3 denominations were minted that year?)

OKbustchaser

The large 8 12/1 is in no way the rarest collectable capped bust after the 17/4. It is possibly the rarest Red Book variety. I would say that the 1830 large letter was, but argueable. (Of course, I seem to remember you picking up one of these too).

Your 12/1 is one of the nicer that I have seen. Here's mine.



Not as nice as yours, but I only paid for a common 1812.

Jim

OKbustchaser

By the by, is this a fresh 53 to NGC or the 1 they had already graded?
Jim

mozin

I just looked at the NGC census and it lists one AU50, two AU53, and two AU55 in 1812/1 Large 8. NGC has three lines for this variety in their census, one without Overton #, O-101, and O-101A. The 101A die state has cracks through all the stars, not just those in front of the portrait, and is rarer because the die is shattered. You might want to check you coin for the cracks. What does it say on the NGC label for your coin, O-101, O-101A, or no Overton listed?

Years ago I decided to not consider buying the 1812/1 Large 8. Most of my Bust Half collection is AU and to pay up for a coin such as yours would mean I needed to pass up about thirty very nice AUs in other varieties. I don't have that extra $15,000 to spend on one coin. Congratulations on your purchase.

GOLDSAINT

Thanks for all your comments.

"By the by, is this a fresh 53 to NGC or the 1 they had already graded?"

Jim, this is one that had been graded.

Mozin,
How very observant of you.
This coin is not attributed and therefore must be the coin listed as the AU 53 in the section marked just as 1812/1 Large 8 in the regular section. It does appear however to be the 101a as it has the die crack at the bottom running through the date.