Hi Folks, I bought this coin on eBay in 2007 for $56. I have the coin somewhere, but I have no idea where...so these are the best pics I have at the moment (the original eBay auction pics). The coin has very slight porosity both front and back, but is otherwise in pretty nice shape. Any thoughts on attribution?
Half Cents are NOT my specialty so take this with a grain of salt. My best guess is C-2 based on the slightly left location of the berry under the right foot of A.
Ahhh...I knew I could count on Marshall! :bow: Yes...you are correct...Cohen-2. For the benefit of non-Half Cent collectors... US Half Cents are one of the most enjoyable series to collect (imho). Each date is unique and the die pairs used for each variety are very well documented in "Walter Breen's Encyclopedia of U.S. Half Cents 1793-1857". The 1809 Half Cent has the highest recorded mintage of any Half Cent date (1,154,572 according to the Red Book). Mintage numbers reported in the Red Book for US Half Cents are "questionable", but multiple sources agree that the 1809 mintage was significant. There were five (5) obverse dies and five (5) reverse dies used to produce six (6) 1809 variations... Cohen-1: 2-B (not beyond STATE) Cohen-2: 2-C (just beyond STATE) Cohen-3: 3-C (just beyond STATE) Cohen-4: 1-A (almost reaches [O]F) Cohen-5: 4-D (just beyond STATE) Cohen-6: 5-E (well beyond STATE) The quickest way to attribute an 1809 Half Cent is by first identifying the Reverse die. The first diagnostic I consider when identifying the Reverse die is the position of the upper most leaf (13th leaf) relative to the final in STATE. The 13th leaf of a Cohen-1 (which I hoped this would be!!) doesn't extend beyond the final . The 13th leaf of the Cohen-6 is well past the final . The 13th leaf of the Cohen-4 almost reaches the [O]F. These three can be ruled out right away. That leaves Cohen-2, Cohen-3, (both Reverse C) and Cohen-5 (Reverse D). Reverse D has a very evenly spaced legend and STAT[ES] are aligned at the bottom of STA[T]ES rather than the top as seen on Reverse C (ES too High)...so Cohen-5 can be ruled out. Cohen-2 and Cohen-3 both use Reverse C so the answer will be on the Obverse. Telling the difference between Cohen-2 and Cohen-3 is quite easy. The Cohen-2 has a close, straight date and the Cohen-3 has wide spaces between [1][8][09]. The easiest way to see the difference is by observing the position of the lowest curl relative to 18[09]. The lowest curl of the Cohen-2 is positioned between the 18[09] whereas the lowest curl of the Cohen-3 is positioned over the 18[0]9. This rules out Cohen-3. ...leaving Cohen-2 (R3/R4) as the answer. There are other diagnostics such as Reverse die cracks and rim breaks that support the authenticity of the coin. Authenticity is important when gambling on eBay offerings. Another thing I really like about this die variety are the clear denticles. Most Half Cents have very poorly defined denticles but the denticles on this variety are substantial. Even with the fine porosity, an 1809 C2 with this much detail is a nice find...a nice pickup for $56. :hail: Just one more (different) note about the 1809 Half Cents... The Cohen-4 is a very interesting variety. On higher grade examples, you can clearly see the smaller 18[0]9 inside the larger one. However, many people that sell inherited coins on eBay have no idea about this somewhat rare variety and (even if you can't see the "0 within the 0") this is the only die variety that uses Reverse-A. Reverse-A is very easy to identify by the unique position of the 13th leaf. :thumb:
I'm starting to like the varieties available with these.. and enjoy reading how to make determinations..
I hope my 1809 description made sense. Clarity of expression isn't my long suit. I would really recommend Breen's Encyclopedia; it makes Half Cent collecting so much more enjoyable!! The 1804 series is my favorite. It has thirteen (13) die varieties with many more identifiable die states (progression of die deterioration). The 1804 Cohen-6 alone has fourteen (14) identifiable dies states (I have 10 of them so far). It's so much fun to find a rare die state that slipped below everyone else's "radar".
Yes, it made sense and I had to read it a few times and look at the coin. That was not due to your explanation but, my need to go over the details along with the coin....... I will have to look for a copy of that book~
I got it right, but by sheer luck since the reverse was used twice. That was an excellent write up for the diagnostics of 1809.
