Old Pair of early New Orleans halfs
crypto79
Posts: 8,623 ✭
While my main focus is Trade Dollars, I am really interested in all Numismatics including Drakside, the strict focus is more about resources than interest. Buying a shotgun assortment of coins would limit the potential of my main set. That said somethings stoke the fire of interest way to much to pass up and I have all ways been fascinated by the early southern Branch Mints and there productions. The D & C mints are all priced at the top of my budget and equate to very highend Trade dollars so they were out and I really do have a central interest in genuinely circulated coins where many of the gold are really just impaired + handled survivors with the few Cirs long since melted during the period. I moved my attention to the O mint as it was in the Deep South and a major international port at the time compared to a couple of sleepy gold rush towns. The Obv Mint mark was always a goal so considering SaintGuru never responded to my adoption requests the 38-o was out leaving just the 39-o. When I started looking 5-6 years ago, while popular, prices were mostly under 1k for highend Cir examples but I always just missed out on them and then prices shot up. Over the years my willing budget shrank and I discovered the 1840 reverse of a Bust half which interestingly marries a Seated half Obv in its first year at that mint with a left over Bust half Rev, since the two series had the mint mark on the opposite sides and used the non-mint marked sides on the marriage the coin was missing a mint mark. I settled in on low grade coins and found reasonable and original coins for pennies on the dollar over the course of 3 years and got them into the new pcgs holder after crossing the 39-o at grade from ICG and buying the 1840 raw. These were made most likely just a few months apart and clearly the backbone of many transactions in a fascinating period of our country. The stories they could tell is sort of why I collect. Enjoy them for there crudeness
0
Comments
Too many positive BST transactions with too many members to list.
Those look like they have led an interesting life.
<< <i>The 1839 O looks super PQ for the assigned grade...great color and detail! Thanks for the post. >>
The 39-o is closer to full good and the 40 closer to Fair-2 but it works in this set, the 39-o carries the set but that is kind of I want it.
bob
<< <i>Where is the mint mark on the 1840? Do I just not see it?
bob
What makes the 1840 special is early in the production (first run maybe) is they had the new style seated half Obv dies (style wise they had moved the mint mark to the Rev) but for whatever reason used an old Bust half Rev die that assumed the mint mark would be on Obv. Due to the specific marriage there is no mint mark on the coin, it was always presumed to be a Philly mint coin up until not too long ago when some of the LCSS members identified the Dies used and matched it up with a known O mint dies. It is a the kind of coin I love and shows the true brilliance of the researchers and "get it done" environment of the early branch mint that makes it and its products unique. Think of it this way; if you flipped the double holder over you could not tell which was a seated half and which was a Bust half without knowning before hand, you would just see two very worn Bust half Rev.
All of that (at least to me) shows that you can still get high level interesting coins with real history & rarity without a big budget. It took a couple of years and I wasn't sure how it would end up but the resulting knick-knack is a perfect addition to my collection. By buying an off holder and a raw coin off ebay, I put this together for about of the price of a normal 39-o in PCGS plastic in that low of a grade which doesn't bother me.
Complete Set of Chopmarked Trade Dollars
Carson City Silver Dollars Complete 1870-1893http://www.pcgs.com/setregistry/showcase.aspx?sc=2722"
Thanks for sharing.
thanks,
'dude
Congrats on a super set
siliconvalleycoins.com
K
My 1866 Philly Mint Set
<< <i>Very nice story, coins and use of the double holder. >>
AG rim wear on the 39, but solid 6-8 wear on the portrait.
Very nice.
In honor of the memory of Cpl. Michael E. Thompson
If I had it my way, stupidity would be painful!
<< <i>Well, now I know where the 2nd 1840 reverse of 1838 resides. Its a PCGS pop 2 coin in that grade (none graded lower) and I own the other AG3. Took me ~2 years to find a raw coin. Mine grades G4 obverse / F2 reverse......hence the assigned AG3 grade >>
I noticed that someone else made an AG3 since I made mine. Congrats I know how sparse the market is with these in any grade. Dick Osborn had an UNC in his set.