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1873-CC Seated Half [no arrows]....help settle a bet!

As I get older I forget my neighbor's name and various coin history. But I do remember the 1873-cc 1/2 no arrows was heavily melted. Can anyone tell me why or the circumstances?

There is a case of Bass riding on this! Thanks.

Comments

  • Y'know, I have no idea what the answer to your question is, but I must observe that it sure would be cool to know somebody who would bet with me about such things.
  • tradedollarnuttradedollarnut Posts: 20,162 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Change in weight, so most were melted and recoined into the with arrows variety.
  • TarmacTarmac Posts: 394
    A qucik call to my Seated coin buddy and I have the following.... The Mint Act of 2/ 12/ 1873 caused the melting by decreeing a small increase in weight, placement of arrows and the melting of obsolete issues so they could make new coin!

    Hot damn! I got a case of Bass! I knew it had something to do with the weight!! I just could not remember the Mint Act decreed an increase, I thought it was a decrease.

    EDITED: Thanks TDN, wanna beer?
  • relayerrelayer Posts: 10,570

    You're both right
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  • CaptHenwayCaptHenway Posts: 32,335 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>A qucik call to my Seated coin buddy and I have the following.... The Mint Act of 2/ 12/ 1873 caused the melting by decreeing a small increase in weight, placement of arrows and the melting of obsolete issues so they could make new coin!

    Hot damn! I got a case of Bass! I knew it had something to do with the weight!! I just could not remember the Mint Act decreed an increase, I thought it was a decrease.

    EDITED: Thanks TDN, wanna beer? >>



    The United States was going on the metric system (you see how well we use it today), and so they changed the weight of the half from the legal weight of 192.0 grains, approximately equal to 12.44 grams, to exactly 12.50 grams, or approximately 192.9 grains. The difference was very minor, but it made the weight a metric number.
    Tom D.
    Numismatist. 50 year member ANA. Winner of four ANA Heath Literary Awards; three Wayte and Olga Raymond Literary Awards; Numismatist of the Year Award 2009, and Lifetime Achievement Award 2020. Winner numerous NLG Literary Awards.
  • roadrunnerroadrunner Posts: 28,303 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I never really considered the 1873cc wa or na halves as anything special in overall grades. The 1870-cc and 1874-cc halves are far more scarcer. The halves always trailed the dimes and quarters of 1873cc but finally got attention since the halves were the only thing really available. Whether some were melted or not there are plenty to go around to satisfy demand. Actually I feel they are somewhat overrated. And most of the coins sitting in MS61-63 holders of all the CC better date halves are what used to be called AU. Finding an unrubbed seated cc half of 1870 to 1874 is quite a chore...and expensive.

    roadrunner
    Barbarous Relic No More, LSCC -GoldSeek--shadow stats--SafeHaven--321gold
  • BarndogBarndog Posts: 20,502 ✭✭✭✭✭
    How many fish in that case that is on the line?

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