Week # 608 It's Numisma-Quest time-put your thinking caps on!

[Melissa Pearce]

QUESTION:

 

What is the perceived significance of a notched 13th star on many early Capped Bust Half Dollars?

 

This weeks winner will receive a copy of United States Pattern & Experimental Pieces of WW-II by Roger W. Burdette.

 

There will also be a runner up prize given to a selected player with the correct answer.

 

REMINDER: The Numisma-Quest ends on Saturday at midnight EST. Entries after that time will not be valid. See the Trivia info post for more details.

[Collector1-migration]

The notch on the thirteenth star is supposedly the signature of the designer John Reich.

[bsshog40]

This was John Reich's signature.

[PJD-migration]

The answer is : It's the way the engraver John Reich signed or put his mark on the coin.

[Coindude]

It was considered as the signature of Johann Matthias Reich, aka John Reich the engraver and designer of the Capped Bust Half.

[PJD-migration]

I believe that's how John Reich, who created the coin in 1807 signed or put his mark on the design.

[$ilverHawk]

The scalloped 13th star was a mark used by John Reich to identify the dies he had created.

 

Carl

[wdrob]

Reich's Signature

[SamD]

After John Reich, a German immigrant, was given full duties as engraver in 1807 by the new mint Director Robert Patterson, he chose the portrait of Liberty facing left with 13 stars - the original states --overhead on the obverse.

 

John’s signature was a notch on the outside point of the 13th star. And that is the significance.

[sc7000]

John Reich marked his obverse dies with a notch on of the points of the 13th star.

[jtryka]

That is the "signature" of John Reich!

[rrantique]

John Reich came to the Mint as assistant engraver on April 1, 1807, and worked precisely one decade with no pay raise. Unsurprisingly, he left the Mint's employ after 10 years. During that time, he managed to redesign copper half cents and large cents, silver dimes, quarters, and half dollars (but not the half dime, which saw a coinage hiatus from 1805 to 1829, nor yet the silver dollar, not minted from 1803-1836), and gold quarter eagles and half eagles (but not the eagle, which had not been minted since 1804 and would not be again until 1838). Reich, a German immigrant, was the first Mint engraver to consistently include the denomination on all gold and silver coin designs. Reich also left his 'secret mark' on most coinage dies of the era, a notched star point (or more than one), usually on star 13.

[CyberspaceVoid]

It is believed to be the signature mark for John Riech, a engraver working at the mint

[LISA B]

QUESTION:

 

What is the perceived significance of a notched 13th star on many early Capped Bust Half Dollars?

 

ANSWER:

 

This was the hallmark of a die prepared by John Reich

 

This weeks winner PJD has won a copy of United States Pattern & Experimental Pieces of WW-II by Roger W. Burdette.

 

theSharpGun has won a single coin display box.

 

Thank you for playing and please stop by this Friday for the PMG Numisma-Quest question