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drddmdrddm Posts: 5,358 ✭✭✭✭✭
I have been searching for a nice, original 1817/3 Capped Bust Half for my CBH set for quite some time. I had even posted a thread this past summer asking
where are all the nice ones..........

1817/3 Thread

So, here is a story about how I came across a couple of my recent CBH's.......

When I first started my CBH date set in the summer of 2007, my goal was to put together a PCGS
XF set. When I found my first overdate early on, an 1817/3 in PCGS XF40 (see below for True View pic),
I thought it was the coolest thing ever and quickly decided to go after the overdate set as well.

It wasn’t long after picking my first AU CBH (can’t remember which one) that I changed my mind again and
decided to go after an AU date and overdate set. Realizing that I would need to sell many of the CBH’s
I had already purchased in XF, I started looking for AU CBH’s with nice original surfaces and attractive
toning. Along the way I came across some scarce CBH varieties that were obviously dipped but had
retoned quite nicely and so instead of passing them by, I decided to pick them up until better ones came
along.

Since choosing to go after an AU set, one of my most important goals was to replace my 1817/3 in XF40
with an AU piece that was completely original and if possible also nicely toned. As I searched for an
1817/3 in AU with my specific criteria, I came to the realization that it may actually take me quite a bit
of time, as I saw several AU pieces that had been either previously cleaned, dipped or both. Because
I didn’t want to settle on one of these “enhanced” CBH’s, I kept searching, and searching, until this past
summer.......

I had received an email from a well respected dealer with some new CBH listings. As I scrolled down to
see what goodies he had listed, low and behold there was an 1817/3 in PCGS AU. I immediately called
him up for a description of the coin and asked him to put it on hold for me. That decision was quickly and
easily made when I heard him say that the coin was “completely original”. I must admit I was nervous at
first as I didn’t know what to expect when I heard that it was original since I have seen many original
CBHs with an unattractive look to them. But when he sent me scans of the coin, I was thrilled to see that
this 1817/3 was not one of them. So I sold my XF40 pretty quickly and received the 1817/3 AU a short time
later. I was quite pleased with its look and also to have finally achieved my goal of getting an original
example of this particular overdate.

However, as I really wanted a nicely toned and original 1817/3 CBH in AU, I tried to focus on the fact that
this particular overdate was tough enough to find with nice original surfaces and so I started looking for
other dates I needed to complete my AU set. Fast forward just one month later……I was checking out a
well-respected dealer’s website inventory when I came across ANOTHER 1817/3 in PCGS AU, however this
time, the nicely toned and original surfaces were there!!!

I couldn’t believe it, I had searched and searched for this overdate with the look I wanted for a long
time and within a couple of months, I had found two beautiful original examples. I quickly called the
dealer and asked him to put this coin on hold for me. Now I was faced with a tough decision, do I
sell my original 1817/3 that I looked long and hard for to get this other nicely toned 1817/3, OR do
I sell some other coin(s) to raise the cash and pick this one up as well? I must admit it was a difficult
decision but I finally went with selling my last non-CBH coin, that I really didn’t want to sell, to get the
nicely toned AU 1817/3. That coin happened to be my 1909-S IHC PCGS MS65RB. It was my last and
most favorite coin that was not part of either my CBH or Lib nickel set. I had sold all my other key date
coins to get my CBH set going, except this one. It wound up going to a fellow collector here on the
boards who I have since befriended and am very happy he now owns it.

So now I have what I was searching for all along when I first decided to upgrade my 1817/3 XF40 to
AU.....originality AND nice colorful toning!! I am truly grateful to have come across these two AU 1817/3’s
when I did and also to have been in a position to purchase them. I really didn’t expect to own two of
these particular overdates but in retrospect, I am glad I got them both. 1817/3 CBH’s in AU are truly
tough to find with nice original surfaces, and toning that is also eye appealing.

Without further ado, here are the 1817/3’s I have been speaking about. The first pic is the XF40
I owned and sold to buy my first AU 1817/3 (second pic) and the final pic is the nicely toned 1817/3
I spoke about.

Comments and guesses as to grades (no cheating) are welcome, and thanks for reading the story
behind these coins.

Comments

  • drddmdrddm Posts: 5,358 ✭✭✭✭✭
    So, here is a story about how I came across a couple of my recent CBH's.......

    When I first started my CBH date set in the summer of 2007, my goal was to put together a PCGS XF set. When I found my first overdate early on, an 1817/3 in PCGS XF40 (see below for True View pic), I thought it was the coolest thing ever and quickly decided to go after the overdate set as well.

    It wasn’t long after picking my first AU CBH (can’t remember which one) that I changed my mind again and decided to go after an AU date and overdate set. Realizing that I would need to sell many of the CBH’s I had already purchased in XF, I started looking for AU CBH’s with nice original surfaces and attractive toning. Along the way I came across some scarce CBH varieties that were obviously dipped but had retoned quite nicely and so instead of passing them by, I decided to pick them up until better ones came along.

    Since choosing to go after an AU set, one of my most important goals was to replace my 1817/3 in XF40 with an AU piece that was completely original and if possible also nicely toned. As I searched for an 1817/3 in AU with my specific criteria, I came to the realization that it may actually take me quite a bit of time, as I saw several AU pieces that had been either previously cleaned, dipped or both. Because I didn’t want to settle on one of these “enhanced” CBH’s, I kept searching, and searching, until this past summer.......

    I had received an email from a well respected dealer with some new CBH listings. As I scrolled down to see what goodies he had listed, low and behold there was an 1817/3 in PCGS AU. I immediately called him up for a description of the coin and asked him to put it on hold for me. That decision was quickly and easily made when I heard him say that the coin was “completely original”. I must admit I was nervous at first as I didn’t know what to expect when I heard that it was original since I have seen many original CBHs with an unattractive look to them. But when he sent me scans of the coin, I was thrilled to see that this 1817/3 was not one of them. So I sold my XF40 pretty quickly and received the 1817/3 AU a short time later. I was quite pleased with its look and also to have finally achieved my goal of getting an original example of this particular overdate.

    However, as I really wanted a nicely toned and original 1817/3 CBH in AU, I tried to focus on the fact that this particular overdate was tough enough to find with nice original surfaces and so I started looking for other dates I needed to complete my AU set. Fast forward just one month later……I was checking out a well-respected dealer’s website inventory when I came across ANOTHER 1817/3 in PCGS AU, however this time, the nicely toned and original surfaces were there!!!

    I couldn’t believe it, I had searched and searched for this overdate with the look I wanted for a long time and within a couple of months, I had found two beautiful original examples. I quickly called the dealer and asked him to put this coin on hold for me. Now I was faced with a tough decision, do I sell my original 1817/3 that I looked long and hard for to get this other nicely toned 1817/3, OR do I sell some other coin(s) to raise the cash and pick this one up as well? I must admit it was a difficult decision but I finally went with selling my last non-CBH coin, that I really didn’t want to sell, to get the nicely toned AU 1817/3. That coin happened to be my 1909-S IHC PCGS MS65RB. It was my last and most favorite coin that was not part of either my CBH or Lib nickel set. I had sold all my other key date coins to get my CBH set going, except this one. It wound up going to a fellow collector here on the boards who I have since befriended and am very happy he now owns it.

    So now I have what I was searching for all along when I first decided to upgrade my 1817/3 XF40 to AU.....originality AND nice colorful toning!! I am truly grateful to have come across these two AU 1817/3’s when I did and also to have been in a position to purchase them. I really didn’t expect to own two of these particular overdates but in retrospect, I am glad I got them both. 1817/3 CBH’s in AU are truly tough to find with nice original surfaces, and toning that is also eye appealing.

    Without further ado, here are the 1817/3’s I have been speaking about. The first pic is the XF40 I owned and sold to buy my first AU 1817/3 (second pic) and the final pic is the nicely toned 1817/3 I spoke about.

    Comments and guesses as to grades (no cheating) are welcome, and thanks for reading the story behind these coins.
  • thats a long story
  • drddmdrddm Posts: 5,358 ✭✭✭✭✭
    probably too long huh?
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