Care to Guess the Grade: 1817 Half Dollar

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WiscKau
WiscKau Posts: 337 ✭✭✭✭✭
edited June 23, 2026 8:52AM in U.S. Coin Forum

I'll let this run for about three days.


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  • RedRocket
    RedRocket Posts: 1,929 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    VG08

  • pursuitofliberty
    pursuitofliberty Posts: 7,926 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    O-111 ... and I agree with Rocket on this one ... VG08 seems right

    Wholesome look


    “We are only their care-takers,” he posed, “if we take good care of them, then centuries from now they may still be here … ”

    Todd - BHNC #242
  • jacrispies
    jacrispies Posts: 1,638 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    VG-10. O-111 has the die line coming from the end of the ribbon, barely visible on the OP coin.

    Looks like David Kahn's photo setup too.

    "But seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you" Matthew 6:33. Young fellow suffering from Bust Half fever.
    BHNC #AN-10
    JRCS #1606

  • johnny9434
    johnny9434 Posts: 34,068 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    Im in with vg 8 as well

  • Walkerguy21D
    Walkerguy21D Posts: 12,164 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    VG 10 is my guess.

    Successful BST transactions with 177 members. breakdown, scotty1419, mattniss, bigjpst, onlyroosies, Manorcourtman, guitarwes, Ebeneezer, Tonedeaf, Shane6596, Piano1, Ikenefic, RG, PCGSPhoto, stman, Don'tTelltheWife, Boosibri, Ron1968, snowequities, VTchaser, jrt103, SurfinxHI, 78saen, bp777, FHC, RYK, JTHawaii, Opportunity, Kliao, bigtime36, skanderbeg, split37, thebigeng, acloco, Toninginthblood, OKCC, braddick, Coinflip, robcool, fastfreddie, tightbudget, DBSTrader2, nickelsciolist, relaxn, Eagle eye, soldi, silverman68, ElKevvo, sawyerjosh, Schmitz7, talkingwalnut2, konsole, sharkman987, sniocsu, comma, jesbroken, David1234, biosolar, Sullykerry, Moldnut, erwindoc, MichaelDixon, GotTheBug
  • BustHalfBrian
    BustHalfBrian Posts: 4,200 ✭✭✭✭
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    I agree with VG10

  • jesbroken
    jesbroken Posts: 11,252 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    VG10. Like the coin.
    Jim


    When a man who is honestly mistaken hears the truth, he will either quit being mistaken or cease to be honest....Abraham Lincoln

    Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it.....Mark Twain
  • MsMorrisine
    MsMorrisine Posts: 40,045 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    10

    and 3 days is a long time

    Current maintainer of Stone's Master List of Favorite Websites // My BST transactions
  • CaptHenway
    CaptHenway Posts: 34,168 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    7 obverse, 10 reverse. Can easily live with a straight 8.

    Professional Numismatist, Retired. 55 year member ANA. Former ANA Senior Authenticator. Winner of four ANA Heath Literary Awards; three Wayte and Olga Raymond Literary Awards; Numismatist of the Year Award 2009, and ANA Lifetime Achievement Award 2020. Winner of the PNG's 2026 Robert Friedberg Award for "The Enigmatic Lincoln Cents of 1922," Available now from Whitman or Amazon.
  • WiscKau
    WiscKau Posts: 337 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    @MsMorrisine said:
    10

    and 3 days is a long time

    Ok

  • MrBluster
    MrBluster Posts: 380 ✭✭✭
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    F 12

  • WiscKau
    WiscKau Posts: 337 ✭✭✭✭✭
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  • TennesseeDave
    TennesseeDave Posts: 4,916 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    That coin is at least F-15. Go look at PCGS photo grade. The VG-8 has no eye visible on the obverse and none of
    e-pluribus-unum on the reverse. Gold CAC candidate

    Trade $'s
  • Goob
    Goob Posts: 576 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited June 24, 2026 3:07PM
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    @WiscKau said:

    Very nice VG8!

    —————

    @TennesseeDave said:
    That coin is at least F-15. Go look at PCGS photo grade. The VG-8 has no eye visible on the obverse and none of
    e-pluribus-unum on the reverse. Gold CAC candidate

    I think VG8 is a fair grade; it misses a lot of the detail a F15 coin has, most particularly on the reverse.

    "Another day, another Collectors Universe forum scrolling session."
    - Someone, probably

  • TennesseeDave
    TennesseeDave Posts: 4,916 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited June 24, 2026 6:20PM
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    It's probably not F-15, but I definitely like it as a 10.
    I was mistakenly looking at Capped Bust Quarters on Photo grade instead of Half dollars.

    Trade $'s
  • lkenefic
    lkenefic Posts: 9,518 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    wow... I was going to say F12. That's one super nice VG!

    Collecting: Dansco 7070; Middle Date Large Cents (VF-AU); Box of 20;

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  • jacrispies
    jacrispies Posts: 1,638 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    @TennesseeDave said:
    That coin is at least F-15. Go look at PCGS photo grade. The VG-8 has no eye visible on the obverse and none of
    e-pluribus-unum on the reverse. Gold CAC candidate

    For tier-1 expert level grading bust halves, you need to account for portrait styles and design depth. That is why I count PCGS photograde nearly useless for the bust half series. The VG-8, VG-10, and F-12 examples have the higher relief 1830s portrait and weaker struck detail. 1817 has the lowest relief portrait of the series, so the design will wear differently. The F-15 they used an 1812/1 with a notorious bulging obverse die that weakened Miss Liberty's chin detail, when the reverse shows clearly VF detail.

    "But seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you" Matthew 6:33. Young fellow suffering from Bust Half fever.
    BHNC #AN-10
    JRCS #1606

  • pursuitofliberty
    pursuitofliberty Posts: 7,926 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    @TennesseeDave had recanted his F-15 further down ... HOWEVER ...

    Striking characteristics are a big deal with CBH's, and as Chase @jacrispies aptly points out, 1817 represents one of the lowest relief's of the 10 major subtypes of CBH's, so the wear on this subtype will appear different than say an 1829.

    Each of the subtypes has a slightly different relief level, and so understanding wear is slightly different from year to year. This is also true for specific Die Marriages, as some have stronger or weaker strike anomalies.

    The coin shown is not a Fine, in my opinion. It is a strong and wholesome VG. I saw it as a either an 8 and a 10 (and was one of the first to respond as agreeing with the previous VG08 guess). In studying it again, I still agree with that.

    One of those "either or's", but not higher (or lower).

    YMMV


    “We are only their care-takers,” he posed, “if we take good care of them, then centuries from now they may still be here … ”

    Todd - BHNC #242
  • CaptHenway
    CaptHenway Posts: 34,168 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    @pursuitofliberty said:
    @TennesseeDave had recanted his F-15 further down ... HOWEVER ...

    Striking characteristics are a big deal with CBH's, and as Chase @jacrispies aptly points out, 1817 represents one of the lowest relief's of the 10 major subtypes of CBH's, so the wear on this subtype will appear different than say an 1829.

    Each of the subtypes has a slightly different relief level, and so understanding wear is slightly different from year to year. This is also true for specific Die Marriages, as some have stronger or weaker strike anomalies.

    The coin shown is not a Fine, in my opinion. It is a strong and wholesome VG. I saw it as a either an 8 and a 10 (and was one of the first to respond as agreeing with the previous VG08 guess). In studying it again, I still agree with that.

    One of those "either or's", but not higher (or lower).

    YMMV

    As I said, a VG-7 obverse and a VG-10 reverse, that I would have no problem averaging out as a straight VG-8.

    Professional Numismatist, Retired. 55 year member ANA. Former ANA Senior Authenticator. Winner of four ANA Heath Literary Awards; three Wayte and Olga Raymond Literary Awards; Numismatist of the Year Award 2009, and ANA Lifetime Achievement Award 2020. Winner of the PNG's 2026 Robert Friedberg Award for "The Enigmatic Lincoln Cents of 1922," Available now from Whitman or Amazon.

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