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A possible 1861/0 half dime ?

dengadenga Posts: 903 ✭✭✭

It is is generally acknowledged, in the Red Book for example, that the 1861/0 half dime
does not exist although PCGS disagrees. I recently examined an 1861 half dime with an
arc to the right of the final numeral 1 in the date. I submitted a picture to Captain Henway,
an expert in such matters, and he indicated that he “had not seen this possible variety.”

The following illustration is from my scanner, the best that can be done at present. It will be
interesting to learn if any other collector has a similar coin.

Comments

  • CaptHenwayCaptHenway Posts: 32,119 ✭✭✭✭✭

    As I told Bob the curve to the right of the 1 might be the result of whatever damage happened to this coin, but that it was worth posting just to see if somebody has a matching specimen.

    Numismatist. 50 year member ANA. Winner of four ANA Heath Literary Awards; three Wayte and Olga Raymond Literary Awards; Numismatist of the Year Award 2009, and Lifetime Achievement Award 2020. Winner numerous NLG Literary Awards.
  • BStrauss3BStrauss3 Posts: 3,408 ✭✭✭✭✭

    To me, the right side is too flat to be a zero. But agree far better pics and a microscope evaluation needed to be sure.

    -----Burton
    ANA 50 year/Life Member (now "Emeritus")
  • rickoricko Posts: 98,724 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Very hard to determine from those pictures...just a tad blurry.....No doubt something is there, though it looks less like a 0 than I would expect. Of course, I have seen other similar coin issues... My O over CC for example... the CC has been poorly obliterated, though obviously there. Good luck with identifying this one... Cheers, RickO

  • amwldcoinamwldcoin Posts: 11,269 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I've had 1 or 2 with that arc...pretty sure 1 was an old ANACS holder slabbed as an 1861/0.

    This was before the overdated was challenged. Personally I believe it does exist.

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