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Description

1796 LIKERTY Half Dime, V-1, LM-1, MS64
Among the Finest Known
Ex: Jim O'Neal

1796 H10C LIKERTY, V-1, LM-1, R.3, MS64 PCGS. The more available of the two die varieties for this issue, though scarce in its own right, known in the Guide Book as the LIKERTY variation for the breaks near the vertical stroke at the upper and lower loops of the B. Interestingly, there are more Guide Book entries for this issue than there are die marriages; the 1796, 6 Over 5 corresponds to the V-2 or LM-2 and the 1796 LIKERTY is the V-1 or LM-1. These are the only two die varieties established for the year and denomination, leaving the "plain" 1796 entry sandwiched between the two an enigma.

The year 1796 marked the half dime's transition from the Flowing Hair obverse to the Draped Bust design, a shift that took place a year earlier for the half dollar and dollar, the other silver denominations then in production. With a stated mintage of just 10,230 pieces split between the two 1796 half dime varieties, it is little wonder that the date as a whole is scarce in an absolute sense, nor does it come as a surprise when Logan and McCloskey describe both variants as "usually seen well worn."

Such truths make the existence of coins such as the present near-Gem all the more remarkable. Its luster is gorgeous, and the strike is remarkably bold on the fine details of Liberty's hair. Ice-blue, violet, and russet shadings are dominant with occasional elements of light silver-gray glimmer at the margins. A remarkably appealing representative that is easy to appreciate. For all 1796 half dime varieties combined, Population: 4 in 64, 1 finer (10/21).
Ex: FUN Signature (Heritage, 1/2009), lot 3665; FUN Signature (Heritage, 1/2010), lot 2465; Jim O'Neal Collection (Heritage, 4/2014), lot 5548..

Coin Index Numbers: (NGC ID# 22ZX, Variety PCGS# 38596, Base PCGS# 4254, Greysheet# 393194)

Metal: 89.24% Silver, 10.76% Copper
Weight: 1.35 grams
ASW: 0.04oz
Mintage: 10,230


View Certification Details from PCGS

Auction Info

Auction Dates
January, 2022
12th-16th Wednesday-Sunday
Bids + Registered Phone Bidders: 22
Lot Tracking Activity: N/A
Page Views: 743

Buyer's Premium per Lot:
20% of the successful bid per lot.

Numismatic Background and Census of 1802 Half Dimes: A Classic American Rarity
This 64-page book cites mintage and rarity estimates by prominent numismatists and documents the currently known 1802 half dime appearances. Each of the 32 documented examples includes an enlarged obverse/reverse photograph, the author's assigned grade, the provenance of each coin, auction prices realized or dealer fixed asking price, and a unique serial number for each specimen that will facilitate retrieval for research, cataloging, or price-information purposes. Reserve your copy of this remarkable volume for just $29.95 today.
Sold on Jan 14, 2022 for: $49,200.00
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