Post your cracked Early Halves !

jayPem

I've been meaning to post this for awhile now...finally got around to it !
What a great die crack, huh ? Sometimes I'm tempted to put all my efforts into collecting as many of the most dramatic cracked die Early halves I can get my hands on...there are so many great ones !
Feel free to post whatever you've got

rhedden

Hold on, I'm cracking out a few Bust halves here, and then I'll post.

Ohhh, you meant die cracks. I'll take that 1795 if you don't want it.

lava

Those are some fascinating cracks.

I can't help but think of that commercial -- who are you talking to, who is this, what are you wearing, she sounds hideous well, she's a guy, so....

lkeigwin

That's a pretty special 1795, jayPem. I'd love to see it in hand.

These aren't nearly as impressive.
Lance.

Tibor

That 1795 is really sweet. I wonder how many more came
from that die before it was retired.

ricko

Nice examples...I find die cracks to be intriguing.... some are dramatic, some interestingly placed... others are minor, but still interesting. Cheers, RickO

Yorkshireman

Lance,
Superb pieces, as usual.

Lee

asheland

Loving those early halves! So much character there!

BillJones

This is a common variety, an 1806 O-115A.

OKbustchaser

Though not as impressive as Lance's this O-106 will rock back and forth when laid on a flat surface.

LindeDad

From the same die as Jays.

jayPem

Since they are handy, I'll post Lances pics of my 1812 o-106...
And my 1811 o-112a since it is a really excellent die crack. Now, who has an 1814 o-106a to show off ? Mine is very low grade, but if no one else has one I'll post it later

Mesquite

Best I can do is machine doubled

drddm

O-108a with a nice transverse crack from top to bottom through 50 C on the reverse (not seen too well in this pic)

Baley

Nysoto

stman

The 1795 O-110a is a nice variety to own.

lkeigwin

<< <i>Now, who has an 1814 o-106a to show off ? Mine is very low grade, but if no one else has one I'll post it later >>

Mozin offered up his at Sheridan's FUN auction.
Lance.

Nysoto

Robert Scot's 1795 engraving report to Congress explained the reason for the many die cracks: "...the precariousness and uncertainty of hardening and tempering the dies, where they are often lost without striking a single coin." Adam Eckfeldt improved the hardening process after the disastrous 1794 and 1795 coins with "spray hardening."

Scot's report was not published until 2012, in the August 2012 John Reich Journal. It answers many questions about engraving at the early Mint. In his own handwriting:

maibockaddict

Very cool post Nysoto and lots of neat crack!

Here are a couple:

1806 O-103a



1806 O-112

maibockaddict

And surprised that no one has posted one of these

1810 O-101a

drddm

Another 1810 O-101a

maibockaddict

Mucho Crackos with this, in a new tomb as well!

1813 O-107a

maibockaddict

This one has all of the crack

1808 over 7

78saen

O-106a



O-104a

LindeDad

1809 it is even used as part of the Overton designation.

maibockaddict

I re-imaged this one in its new tomb

1814/3

rhedden

Just posted this one in the ebay thread, but maybe it belongs here too alongside its cracked bustie counterparts?

TomB

<< <i>Robert Scot's 1795 engraving report to Congress explained the reason for the many die cracks: "...the precariousness and uncertainty of hardening and tempering the dies, where they are often lost without striking a single coin." Adam Eckfeldt improved the hardening process after the disastrous 1794 and 1795 coins with "spray hardening."

Scot's report was not published until 2012, in the August 2012 John Reich Journal. It answers many questions about engraving at the early Mint. In his own handwriting:
>>



The coins are awfully cool, but this is the most interesting and unusual thing I have seen in this thread.