Value question regarding the 1794 Half Dollar with weak '4'....

DoubleEagle59

Does the 1794 half with the weak '4' in the date (I think this may be the O-101a type) sell for less than other 1794 halves with the normal stronger '4' in the date?

If so, by how much? (for a VG example).

DoubleEagle59

ttt, for the evening crowd.

Julian

I am unaware that any specific variety of 1794 halves have a weak 4. The 1794 dollar often comes with a weak date. Could that be what you are thinking about?

SilverEagles92

I don't see an O-110a in the Overton book.

DoubleEagle59

I'm positive I saw one on someone's site.

The coin was about Fine condition and the date was strong except the '4' in the date.

You could hardly see the '4'.

I'm trying to find the website now.

I'm curious because I had a chance to buy a 1794 half (about a month ago) and the dealer said it had a very weak date, specifically the '4'.

I was just thinking if this coin comes with a weak and strong date, since it's such a valuable coin, would the weak 4 have a lower value?

If I'm incorrect and it's the weak date I'm referring to, then my question is "does the weak date type have a lower value than the normal date?"

Julian

There is a o-110 variety for 1794 and it is a high R-7.

Simply a strong 4 would be worth more than a weak 4, regardless of the cause, to a date collector. If the weak 4 variety is rare, then it would be worth more to a variety collector.

OKbustchaser

If I recall correctly one of the half dollar die marriages had a sunken die which could have resulted in a weakly struck 4, but I don't remember which one--and my copy of Overton is unavailable right now.

speety

I just checked with my 3rd ed. Overton book and no dates are mentioned for having a weak date or a weak 4 in date. In fact, even in the images of the coins, the dates are all sharp as compared to the overall details of the coin.

There is a 101-a, however it's not noted for having a weak date.

DoubleEagle59

maybe it was all a bad dream

I sure appreciate all the help and info.

Julian

It wasn't a bad dream. There is absolutely a o-110.

Nysoto

The 1794 O-101/101a is the most common of the 1794 varieties, by a wide margin. The dentils are often weak from 3 to 6 o'clock, in grades of fine or less the dentils can be worn off, accelerating the wear of the 4 and the rest of the date.

If buying, verify the attribution with the Overton book, and authenticate to make sure it is genuine. There are a lot of fakes and altered dates out there now. A weak date on a genuine 1794 is probably VG or less. If the 4 is barely legible it should have some reduction in value, but still worth thousands!