WLH varieties
coinkat
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I suspect there is a general consensus that the WLH is among the most attractive US coins issued for general circulation…But even in spite of the popularity of this series, WLH varieties seem to have minimal interest…With the possible exception of the 1946 DDR. There are various dates that feature some other doubling or others that have no AW initials. And to be fair about this, the earliest date with missing designer initials is the 1918-D, first discovered in 1960. Since then, other dates without initials were discovered and are noted by Walter Breen including but not limited to the 1929-s, 1940, 1942-s, 1943-s, 1944, 1945 and even a few proof issues. Breen suggests these are rare… but these observations seem somewhat dated or just inaccurate.
While the missing designer initials is largely attributable to production issues, there is still a variation in the end product. And I don’t think it is a stretch to make a comparison to Canadian Dollars with short water lines, no water lines and possibly the Arnpriors. These Canadian dollars seem to have a following and are collected… but the WLH dates referenced above seem to have a minimal following without much of a reference in numismatic publications. So the real questions are: Is there simple no numismatic interest in these varieties? Or in the alternative… Is there no vested interest in promoting varieties with a highly questionable surviving population?
I came across the 1918-D the better part of 25 years ago and submitted to ANACS because they were the only grading service that would recognize the no initials. The coin graded AU53 and I still own the coin thinking how difficult it would be to replace an 18-D with a similarly situated appearance. I found a 1943-s no initials recently and it suspect it will grade in the AU50-53 range, but seems it is likely not worth submitting given that interest in these have simply not manifested yet. And that interest may not materialize even though varieties seem to be one of the last frontiers in American Numismatics.
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Comments
I am unaware of any WLH that has missing designer initials due to a mint die omission. Anyone can collect whatever they like, but how do you collect a set based on worn dies, grease filled initials, soft strikes, or circulation wear?
It seems to be a similar situation as the Two Feather Buffalo Nickel or the Missing Leaf Shield Nickel.
The WLH varieties may eventually gain a following like Capped Bust Half Dollars or Seated Half Dollars, but that might rely on a future generation of collectors.
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Speaking only for myself, varieties bore me out of my mind. My collections were all assembled based on the goal of including one example of each date/mint issued for circulation. And that's it. I have no interest in including strikes from multiple different dies of the same date. 1922 Plain Lincoln? Don't need it. 1937-D Three Legged Buffalo? Don't need it. 1942/1 Mercury? Don't need it. Proofs? Don't need them.
It's funny you mentioned Canadian dollars, as I collect those too, and I've watched with amusement as the number of these varieties has expanded over time, along with the number of near/far dates and design/no design in dates of other denominations. Don't get me wrong- there's no reason at all that anyone interested in these coins shouldn't collect them, they're just not for me.
As always, FWIW and YMMV.
@MasonG
I am still looking for a 1947 pointed 7…
Experience the World through Numismatics...it's more than you can imagine.
The one I have is a blunt 7 and I'll be stopping there.
One of my reasons for not persuing varieties is that they can be pricey, and I've only got so much money available to spend on coins. If I were to include varieties, it would only reduce the number of different dates I would be able to acquire. So there's that...
I like to cherry pick varieties, but I’ll not pay a big premium for them, even if they’re designated.
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My Full Walker Registry Set (1916-1947):
https://www.ngccoin.com/registry/competitive-sets/16292/
Avid collector of Walker varieties. You are correct in saying there is very little interest in varieties of this series. Not sure why this is so. It’s ashamed because the coin has a beautiful design. Currently have the #3 registry set in the complete set of Walker varieties.
Part of the reason might be that there are so few varieties for the series. Not counting the abraded dies, there just aren't that many to get into.
The 1946 DDR is the best known, probably because is easy to see and relatively easy to find. You can still cherrypick these on eBay if you spend a little time looking. There is a DDO for the dame date, and a 1942 DDR, both of which are a little harder to spot and less common. Finally there are some minor DDOs in 1936, plus one very rare monster Philly DDO that I believe is still only known by a single well-circulated example.
Sean Reynolds
"Keep in mind that most of what passes as numismatic information is no more than tested opinion at best, and marketing blather at worst. However, I try to choose my words carefully, since I know that you guys are always watching." - Joe O'Connor