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1795 50C 2 Leaves MS61 NGC....

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Description

1795 2 Leaves Half, O-130, R.5, MS61
Likely Second in the Condition Census

1795 50C 2 Leaves MS61 NGC. O-130, R.5. The O-130 is easily distinguished by the 7-10 berry arrangement on the reverse, the only such for the year. The O and C are recut, and a small die crack runs through S OF AMER. On the obverse the point of star 1 pierces through the lowest curl, which forms an "open hook with a blunt end" (Overton, fourth edition). The point of star 2 is near the next-to-lowest curl, and the point of the bust is centered between two points of star 15 and close to it.
The recorded mintage of 299,680 half dollars was accomplished using 19 obverse and 22 reverse dies, mated in a total of 32 separate die pairings (or possibly 31; the existence of O-118 is unconfirmed). The O-130 is of middling rarity in the grand scheme of 1795 half dollars, as most die pairings are R.4 or higher, with only a couple of R.3s to prevent collectors from despairing of obtaining a nice piece of any variety. As a condition rarity, this piece is, of course, High R.7 or "extremely rare" when one presents both the variety rarity and grade in one expression.
The Condition Census as presented in the third edition of Overton was woefully inadequate, listed as (40, 30, 25, 25, 20). The fourth edition (2005) could have seen a lot more updating, listing coins in (50, 40, 30, 25, 25) for the Census--despite our offering of an MS63 NGC coin in June 2001 (Long Beach Signature Auction #263, lot 8344); the Akers-Stack's offerings (1998-2002) of the Pittman-Hain (same) coin, graded MS62 raw and now in an AU58 PCGS slab; the 1999 Stack's Dombrowski-Orwen MS60 piece, ex: Bareford; and an XF45 ICG piece that we offered in September 2002 (Long Beach Signature Auction #300, lot 6778). The current Condition Census thus appears to be (63, 61, 60, 58, 45), with this piece occupying second place in the Census.
This is a deeply toned example that shows varying shades of rose, lilac, and gray patina on each side. Satiny mint luster is seen under the multiple layers of toning. The obverse is sharply defined, while the reverse is softly detailed on the eagle's breast. The strike shows some localized weakness also, with uneven definition at the bottom of the obverse and top of the reverse, which we interpret as a misaligned pair of dies. Magnification reveals several small abrasions but none are immediately apparent to the unaided eye, thus we will not mention any individually.
(Registry values: N7079)

Coin Index Numbers: (NGC ID# 24E7, PCGS# 6052, GSID# 6119)

Metal: 89.24% Silver, 10.76% Copper
Weight: 13.48 grams
ASW: 0.38676oz
Mintage: 299,680

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Auction Info

2008 July-August Baltimore, MD (ANA) US Coin Signature Auction #1114 (go to Auction Home page)
Auction Dates
Jul-Aug, 2008
30th-3rd Wednesday-Sunday
Bids + Registered Phone Bidders: 8
Lot Tracking Activity: N/A
Page Views: 589

Buyer's Premium per Lot:
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