Lost, Rumored, Undiscovered Overton

planonit

I've never gotten the full story on the 1806 o-128 (It is not in private hands still is it?) but it has always made me wonder how many (if any) more Overtons are out there.

Any stories of ones "lost" (ie it was at an auction or some dealer had it supposedly but it has not come forward since) ones?

I just do not see how there could be any more totally undiscovered ones but if there is I would say the best but would not be some new 1795 but a common Capped Bust as they get totally over looked.

GoBust

The 1806 O-128 coin is still in private hands and still unique. Always seems like new varieties of early American silver continue to pop up every year or two or three. More prominently with flowing hair or draped bust material to be sure.

Nysoto

I think all early half dollar collectors were surprised when three additional new draped bust die marriage discoveries were made after 1806 O.128/T-19, with two of them discovered with help from this forum. Ebay has flushed out some previously unknown examples.

When Robert Scot explained to Congress "the precariousness and uncertainty of hardening and tempering the Dies, whereby they are often lost without striking a single coin," indicates there are some dies that will never be known, and probably some unknown die marriages that ended after a few strikes, where no examples survive. With the capped bust series, processes were better, and extreme R-7 to R-8 rarity die marriages are lower in number than flowing or draped, so I believe the chances of a new CBH variety is very low because they struck a much higher number of coins per DM. I do believe that a couple more FH or DB half dollar varieties will be discovered in the next few decades.

lkeigwin

@planonit said:
...would not be some new 1795 but a common Capped Bust as they get totally over looked.

Trust me, capped bust halves are not overlooked.
Lance.

Quarternut

@Nysoto said:

" I do believe that a couple more FH or DB half dollar varieties will be discovered in the next few decades."

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Gee...that would make some more work for me! (Not that I don't have enough to do already...)

QN

BustDMs

How about the long lost 1827 O150?

Breen reported seeing an 1827 with obverse 11 and reverse E.

None of the "Nuts" have ever found one. Another LSD moment for Breen or actually another marriage to add to our collections?

Baley

Even 200 years and more later, occasionally any random previously unattributed coin is closely examined by a new owner who seeks to determine the variety (die marriage, die state, etc. ) and notices something "different" about the example..

.. and then can't find it in "the book" and asks experts on a forum like this, posts pictures, discusses, takes measurements, follows up, delivers the coin to authorities at a coin show, sends it to a TPG, and ends up with a Discovery Coin.