A coin story with an exciting twist
STONE
Posts: 15,275 ✭
A little while ago I bought a group of 6 coins on eBay (as shown in the sellers images below). There was only one coin in the lot which I really wanted, and that was an 1835 Capped Bust Half-Dime, die marriage LM-4, with a reverse cud over UNI. I did not yet have this cud in my collection, and through prior research I knew that it is a tougher CBHD Cud to locate, thus I wanted it. I placed a strong max bid to hopefully ensure acquisition, and to my great surprise I won the lot for less than a third of my max bid (the lot ended for ~$24); saving me money to buy more coins!
Well, I wasn’t able to actually see the coins until 3 weeks later – 1 week left of school, and an almost 2 week long road trip kept me from viewing these 6 coins. Well, two days ago I got home and after some unpacking and settling in, I opened this package.
Now, I knew from the sellers’ description that this particular coin was bent, but that did not deter me from going after it anyway. And, sure enough, the coin was bent! It’s a nice coin to add to my collection, and hopefully I can reduce the bend to a more manageable state. To me, this one coin made the entire lot worthwhile, and I am very pleased to have it. My later intention was to sell the other 5 coins, as I already have a nice 1829 CBHD and I really didn’t want any other holed coins in my collection. But, since I collect Bust Silver coins, I couldn’t resist the urge to attribute the other two CBHD’s.
I didn’t really care about either of these two holed 1829 CBHD’s, but since I collect bust silver coins I wanted to attribute their respective die marriage’s just for fun. I figured that each would be fairly common (as is usually the case), and thus easier to attribute. The first one I attributed was the example (as pictured above) with the hole slightly right of 12 o’clock on the obverse (also the higher detailed coin). This turned out to be an LM-16 (whether it is the remarriage 16.1 or 16.2, I have not been able to decipher). LM-16 is an R2, so thus I was not too surprised that it was a common die marriage.
Then I get to the second example. I could tell it was not another LM-16 based on the reverse diagnostics being different. There are also 18 different die marriages from 1829, so it’s not a quick task of ID-ing die characteristics on such a small coin. I was quickly able to eliminate most die marriages based on differing reverse die characteristics, but I did get stuck on four die marriages which all seemed to share the same reverse. A quick check of my notes and I found out that these four die marriages all share the same reverse (Reverse F)! This was very exciting because two of these four die marriages are R5’s, and the other two are R6’s!!! Anyway you look at it I’ve already got a rare die marriage. So, I’m saying to myself, well you probably have the more common of the two R5 die marriages – the odds are with me in my logic. Now I just had to go through the far more difficult task of deciphering obverse differences. Distinguishing obverses on CBHD’s has always been my weakness, but this time it turned out to actually be much simpler than I anticipated after I focused on the position of the date with regards to the denticles. I was quickly able to eliminate the two R5 die marriages (LM-9 and LM-10). Now I just had to make a 100% positive match of the two R6 die marriages (LM-11 or LM-12). (By now I was extremely excited, as you might imagine; an R6 rarity has 13-30 known!). But again, the two were easily distinguished once again, and it turned out to be the LM-12, the 2nd or 3rd rarest die marriage from 1829!
So, in the end I paid an average of $4, yes, four dollars, per coin; and with that investment I got a rare cud and a rare die marriage, each about R6 in terms of rarity for $4 each. I also find it very funny how my original intent of purchasing this group of coins was solely focused on one coin (the one with the reverse cud), and selling the other five. After doing some additional homework I found out that I had an extremely rare die marriage in the mix, and now I plan on keeping all six coins! I may even think about starting a die marriage set, but who knows (I already have about 18 different die marriages, or ~20% of all die marriages)
Well, I wasn’t able to actually see the coins until 3 weeks later – 1 week left of school, and an almost 2 week long road trip kept me from viewing these 6 coins. Well, two days ago I got home and after some unpacking and settling in, I opened this package.
Now, I knew from the sellers’ description that this particular coin was bent, but that did not deter me from going after it anyway. And, sure enough, the coin was bent! It’s a nice coin to add to my collection, and hopefully I can reduce the bend to a more manageable state. To me, this one coin made the entire lot worthwhile, and I am very pleased to have it. My later intention was to sell the other 5 coins, as I already have a nice 1829 CBHD and I really didn’t want any other holed coins in my collection. But, since I collect Bust Silver coins, I couldn’t resist the urge to attribute the other two CBHD’s.
I didn’t really care about either of these two holed 1829 CBHD’s, but since I collect bust silver coins I wanted to attribute their respective die marriage’s just for fun. I figured that each would be fairly common (as is usually the case), and thus easier to attribute. The first one I attributed was the example (as pictured above) with the hole slightly right of 12 o’clock on the obverse (also the higher detailed coin). This turned out to be an LM-16 (whether it is the remarriage 16.1 or 16.2, I have not been able to decipher). LM-16 is an R2, so thus I was not too surprised that it was a common die marriage.
Then I get to the second example. I could tell it was not another LM-16 based on the reverse diagnostics being different. There are also 18 different die marriages from 1829, so it’s not a quick task of ID-ing die characteristics on such a small coin. I was quickly able to eliminate most die marriages based on differing reverse die characteristics, but I did get stuck on four die marriages which all seemed to share the same reverse. A quick check of my notes and I found out that these four die marriages all share the same reverse (Reverse F)! This was very exciting because two of these four die marriages are R5’s, and the other two are R6’s!!! Anyway you look at it I’ve already got a rare die marriage. So, I’m saying to myself, well you probably have the more common of the two R5 die marriages – the odds are with me in my logic. Now I just had to go through the far more difficult task of deciphering obverse differences. Distinguishing obverses on CBHD’s has always been my weakness, but this time it turned out to actually be much simpler than I anticipated after I focused on the position of the date with regards to the denticles. I was quickly able to eliminate the two R5 die marriages (LM-9 and LM-10). Now I just had to make a 100% positive match of the two R6 die marriages (LM-11 or LM-12). (By now I was extremely excited, as you might imagine; an R6 rarity has 13-30 known!). But again, the two were easily distinguished once again, and it turned out to be the LM-12, the 2nd or 3rd rarest die marriage from 1829!
So, in the end I paid an average of $4, yes, four dollars, per coin; and with that investment I got a rare cud and a rare die marriage, each about R6 in terms of rarity for $4 each. I also find it very funny how my original intent of purchasing this group of coins was solely focused on one coin (the one with the reverse cud), and selling the other five. After doing some additional homework I found out that I had an extremely rare die marriage in the mix, and now I plan on keeping all six coins! I may even think about starting a die marriage set, but who knows (I already have about 18 different die marriages, or ~20% of all die marriages)
0
Comments
Congrats on your lucky score!
I wonder how long it will be before IKE's are examined this way? Perhaps by the year 2152?
The name is LEE!
cool story. I like it when the good guys win in the end.
I guess the CBHD folks saw the holes in them and passed right over that auction.
Too many positive BST transactions with too many members to list.
<< <i>Way to go Winston. Glad to see you are still actively looking for coins and posting here. >>
This is a thanks to everyone. But in response to Dimeman, I'll be posting a little more for the next month since I've got time off!
I don't know how much each is worth, I'm not too worried about that, but likely more than $4
Let me be the first to say...
YOU SUCK!
Well done!
<< <i>Winston,
Let me be the first to say...
YOU SUCK!
Well done! >>
I Accept
The 1829 isn't pretty, but it's currently a rare die marriage, so I can live with its current state of preservation
<< <i>Congrats!
I wonder how long it will be before IKE's are examined this way? Perhaps by the year 2152? >>
19LYDS,
I already have been doing it since first logging on to the Ike Group Site. right about two years now
And from the amazing stuff that has found it's way under your microscope
That you have shared, you have been at it longer than me
I still kind of like the fact that I can readily find "Low Hanging Fruit"
While others still ignore it. I am getting them while the getting is good.
For the first time at all the shows I attended. I have seen Ike's
taking space on dealer tables over the last year.
Stone, Congrats on the Great find.
Those Adrenalin rushes are great when finding rare stuff like that.
<< <i>This is a great illustration of the many difference in collecting styles we have on these forums......for me the coins with holes would be completely worthless but here Winston took the time to attibute them and found some rarer pieces for his collection. My toned coins would be seen by ricko in the same light...worthless
Let's not forget Lord Marcovan's seemingly innocent trade on this holed 1806 Half!
Hopefully, Stone's coin fares as well should he decide to offer it for sale.
The name is LEE!
<< <i>This is a great illustration of the many difference in collecting styles we have on these forums......for me the coins with holes would be completely worthless but here Winston took the time to attibute them and found some rarer pieces for his collection. My toned coins would be seen by ricko in the same light...worthless
Well, I really would rather not have a holed coin in my collection, but I'm settling with it for now because it's rare.
There is an ecclectic collecting variety on these boards which makes these boards that much better.
Knowledge is king!
zap
102 capped bust half dollars - 100 die marriages
BHNC #198
<< <i>Nice job, Winston. Congrats, and I hope the schooling fared as well! >>
School went fantastic despite hair splitting deadlines, tests, etc.
This semester was the most work I've ever had in college, but it was still a lot of fun...and I still have one more year!
Kewpie Doll award-10/29/2007
Successful BST transactions with Coinboy and Wondercoin.