More examples found!

In the Summer 2015 issue of the Gobrecht Journal (Liberty Seated Collectors Club publication), Steve Crain (half dime expert) wrote an article in which he discussed three varieties of 1847 half dimes with shattered reverse dies. He designated them Crain-1A, Crain-2B, and Crain-3C (numbers 1-2-3 identifying obverse dies, letters A-B-C identifying reverse dies), and noted that he had only ever seen one example of the 2B and 3C.

In my earlier posts in this series, I wrote of quickly finding and buying an example of the 1A, which presumably is more common than the other two. I also noted an example of the 2B in a Heritage auction. I quietly waited for it, bought it, and noted the find on the LSCC message boards as well as the NGC Journal. While on the LSCC boards, I noticed that another club member had already posted a photo of a 2B.

Since then, I have identified what I believe are two more examples of the Crain-2B, but in earlier states of the reverse die. Both appeared in recent internet-only Heritage auctions. The first was a VF35 with only part of one of the cracks visible in the Heritage photo. I had intended to get it, but hadn't entered an absentee bid and got caught out on the road when the lot was sold.

The second is an XF45 with parts of two cracks visible, and maybe part of a third. I got that one. The partial cracks clearly match the late die state examples. They are are from the rim to A2, from the rim to the right ribbon end, and maybe over TE of STATES.

That brings the tally up to five known examples of the 1847 Crain-2B variety (the obverses all look the same to me), but the new owner of he VF may not know that there is anything "special" about the coin. With four finds in about a year of looking, it may not be particularly rare. In any event, it has been fun looking for these things and obtaining two of them.

Alan

To see old comments for this Journal entry, click here. New comments can be added below.