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The 1826 C-1 Half Cent Provides Some Interesting Sidelights
BillJones
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One of the interesting features of many 19th century coins is that they often have interesting variations that are seldom seen on modern coins. A case in point is the 1826 Cohen - 1 half cent. This variety is the more common of the two 1826 varieties by a fairly wide margin.
The diagnostic feature of the variety is the patch raised lines that is the right of the date. This was the result of a blundered die. When the die sinker was preparing the die he punched in the “6” in the date too far to the left. Noting his error, he filled in the spot leaving a group of telltale lines.
Today some collectors have taken an interest in rotated dies. For this variety, all of the coins show rotated dies to a degree, in this case about 15 degrees as shown in the picture.
Finally, although it’s not noted in the die variety books, this variety is quite often very sharply struck. All of Ms. Liberty’s hair do is show in vivid detail, even on pieces in EF condition.
This piece is in an NGC MS-64 brown holder. It is the second 1826 C-1 that I have owned and clearly the better one. First piece dated back to my days as a half cent by die variety collector, which ended more than a decade ago.
I’m not sure if I’m going to keep this piece or sell it, but it has been fun looking back on a variety that drew my attention years ago.
Retired dealer and avid collector of U.S. type coins, 19th century presidential campaign medalets and selected medals. In recent years I have been working on a set of British coins - at least one coin from each king or queen who issued pieces that are collectible. I am also collecting at least one coin for each Roman emperor from Julius Caesar to ... ?
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I agree that coins from this era have little quirks that make them different from modern coins, and that's why I like them.
For instance, I just learned about my 1804 C-11 half cent, and that it is a very late die state for the variety. It's got 20 degrees of rotation.
I like how on your coin you can kinda see a shadow of the 6 under the raised lines. Is it an earlier die state? I imagine the lines would wear away from the die after a while, kinda like clash marks do.
Thanks for sharing a cool coin!
-Amanda
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I can appreciate the varieties of half cents being a large cent collector, and see the lower number of varieties for half cents as making this series more attainable for variety collectors. One of the things that attracted me to old copper in the first place was the vast number of varieties and how each one of them had a little bit of a story about them -- and your coin is a perfect example.
Take care...Mike
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<< <i>Excellent post
Capped Bust Half Series
Capped Bust Half Dime Series
In Bill Eckberg's study, he suggests a surviving population of 3700 (estimate) for the C-1 and a measly 210 (estimate) for the C-2 variety of 1826.
Great coin and thanks for sharing.
I had an 1826 C-1 (raw UNC) and it was probably the nicest strike of any of my Classic Head Half Cents. I kinda wish I hadn't sold those things
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Tom, formerly in Albuquerque, NM.
The C-2 as noted by Bill Jones, is tough in higher grades. In lower grades it is a relatively easy coin to come across unattributed. In higher grade, it is a different story- they are tough. Very few of the well known Half cent collections that have come to market have had a C-2 in Unc. The Brobston collection for example, was only an XF (probably AU by todays standards).
Here are my coins- The C-2 is most easily attributed by the position of the high leaf on the reverse. Attributing either variety by the obverse differences (C-2 under digit remnaants, C-1 Die file lines) is easy on the early die states, but on the later die states , a low grade coin is much more easily attributed by the reverse imho.
1826 C-1
1826 C-2
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