1840-(O) 50C Medium Letters, WB-101, Die Pair 4, R.3, MS64 PCGS. CAC....

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1840-(O) Half Dollar, Reverse of 1838, MS64
O-Mint Issue Without Mintmark

1840-(O) 50C Medium Letters, WB-101, Die Pair 4, R.3, MS64 PCGS. CAC. This is one of two famous "Missing Mintmark" varieties struck by the New Orleans Mint in 1840, from a muling of dies from the Bust half and Seated half series. It is a toss-up which is more amazing, whether the omitted mintmark was not noticed until 1980, or whether the reverse die survived long enough to strike any coins at all. It was (incredibly) used again to strike a few more coins with a different obverse. The reverse die was carried over from 1839, but it was a Bust half Reeded Edge die (mintmark on the obverse, with Medium Letters), and no one noticed there was no mintmark. Paired with an 1840 Seated half obverse, multiple radial die cracks emerged from the edge to the eagle and legend -- many of them lengthy and heavy. The fact that the reverse die was a slightly smaller diameter (30.0 mm vs. 30.6 mm) was a factor that contributed to the ultimate die failure.

The present coin ranks highly in the Condition Census for the variety. Smooth, silver-gray surfaces display full mint luster that glows softly from beneath the frosted fields and devices. A splendid near-Gem example, there are no significant marks to mention. The strike is sharp given the circumstances of this unusual variety. Population: 3 in 64 (1 in 64+), 1 finer. CAC: 3 in 64, 1 finer (1/18).

Coin Index Numbers: (Variety PCGS# 572003, Base PCGS# 6233)

Weight: 13.36 grams

Metal: 90% Silver, 10% Copper

View Certification Details from PCGS