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How do you tell the difference between large and medium dates on 1848 half dimes?
construct
Posts: 932
I recently bought one for medium date money, but the date looks plenty large to me. I don't see how they could have made it much larger. Pictures would be an appreciated addition to this thread, but I don't have a computer camera.
The strangest things seem suddenly routine.
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A photo from Breen shows the date overlapping well into the base of the rock. I'm sure you can find a photo of this in the Heritage Auction Archives. The regular dates offer some separation from the rock itself.
roadrunner
Mine is indeed a medium date. The 1 touches the rock and the 8s are slightly separated. On the large date, all the digits actually overlap the rock. Thank you.
The link above is a pic of large date
Just my luck. I hang around here looking for threads on half dimes, and when one comes up I miss it. Probably too late on this one, as the others have answered it quite nicely. Let me just say that the 1848 V1 Large Date is perhaps the most frequently misattributed Liberty Seated half dime, so you are in good company. I used to carry a picture of one with me to shows to show to dealers who had misattributed 1848's in their cases. As Roadrunner pointed out, a dime logotype was used to punch the date into the working die, completely filling the exergue, and running the digits up into the shield. Once you see a bona fide example, you will never make that mistake again. Some of the monikers we have for certain varieties (i.e. 1848 Large Date; 1837 Large and Small Date) are not very precise. Perhaps it should have been named 'Enormous Date'.
Well, to begin with, one is larger than the other................
I bought one years ago.
Ray
Al Blythe, in his 1993 book on Liberty Seated half dimes, gives the 1848 V1 Large Date an R4 in circulated grades, and an R5 in uncirculated. I would probably agree with that assessment. Over time, I have owned eight (8) examples, from VF-20 to AU-55 grade. I have seen, but never owned, very few mint state examples. Like most coins, the rarity is directly proportional to the grade. For those who are interested in such things, there is a late die state, with a large reverse die crack running from the rim at K12, down through the denomination, and into the bow, nearly bisecting the reverse, which is quite scarce.
In the pending LSCC half dime census, there were a total of 49 examples reported (unofficially - the census is still being compiled), including my 8 examples. That includes at least 4 mint state examples, the finest being MS-66. Bear in mind that all of the attributions, and all of the grading, were done by the individual members, and are subject to error.
Misattributed examples of the Large Date can be found, in quantity, on any bourse floor; genuine specimens are a bit more difficult to find. I hope this helps.