cbsmyth Posted October 4, 2008 Report Share Posted October 4, 2008 Greetings Everyone, This is my first post on this forum...I see that many of my fellow members from another forum are here as well and to them I give a special hello! I have a raw 1835 Capped Bust half dollar in EF/AU that has what I believe is a mint error. On the rev at about 11 o'clock in the E PLURIBUS UNUM banner, the R and the I and a small part of the U in PLURIBUS are not struck...or are extremely faint. The rest of the coin is fine. I don't know whether this an Overton variety or an obscure mint error. For all I know the bloody thing could be counterfeit. I have googled and googled without getting any answers. On the chance someone might know something about this, I thought I would ask. Sorry no photos at the moment. Chris (cbsmyth) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill Posted October 4, 2008 Report Share Posted October 4, 2008 What you describe is not a diagnostic of any Overton variety. It could be weakly struck, etc. Hard to say without photographs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cbsmyth Posted October 6, 2008 Author Report Share Posted October 6, 2008 What you describe is not a diagnostic of any Overton variety. It could be weakly struck, etc. Hard to say without photographs. Thanks for your reply, Bill... In the process of trying to photograph this coin I examined it a bit more closely...I am a new collector (about 2 years) and I realized that the rims on this one are totally shot on the rev, although the edge lettering is clear and relatively undamaged and the obv especially the rim denticles are in far better shape. But I am a bit embarrassed to have first called this an XF/AU and would have to downgrade it more like a high vf or so. In any event this is my first attempt at photographing a coin. The colour and lustre are off but it shows what I am talking about. Chris (cbsmyth) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill Posted October 6, 2008 Report Share Posted October 6, 2008 I will leave a definitive reply to someone who knows the series better, but I would call this a weak strike as opposed to a mint error. The cons is definitely ot XF/AU and it looks to me to have been cleaned. Don't worry too much about what you thought two years ago, this is a good place to discuss coins and learn. All of us have bought coins that were over graded, cleaned, misattributed, etc as we learned the ins and outs of the hobby. Keep learning and enjoying the coins and history. As long as you keep that at the forefront of your collecting, you will enjoy the hobby despite the accasional bump in the road. Welcome to Coin People. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bustchaser Posted October 6, 2008 Report Share Posted October 6, 2008 Does it look something like this one? If so, then this is fairly normal. It results from the fact that the deepest points of both the obverse and reverse dies are located directly opposite of each other. When a planchet is then struck there is insufficient metal flow to completely fill both dies. Even without looking I will bet that the end of Liberty's bust on the obverse is also weakly struck. Edit to add: I just noticed your title; if the edge is reeded rather than lettered it is a counterfeit, as the reeded edge halves weren't produced until the end of the following year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cbsmyth Posted October 6, 2008 Author Report Share Posted October 6, 2008 Bill: Thanks for your encouragement..can't remember what I paid for this coin but I think it was around 60 or 70 dollars and I cannot remember what grade it was advertised as. Yes I think it has been cleaned as well...Thanks again. Bustchaser: Done that a bit myself :-). Looking at the obv I do believe you're right! The edge lettering says very clearly 50IIIIIIICENTSIIIIIIIORIIIIIIIHALFIIIIIIIIAIIIIIIDOLLAR. Is this correct? Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bustchaser Posted October 7, 2008 Report Share Posted October 7, 2008 Bill: Thanks for your encouragement..can't remember what I paid for this coin but I think it was around 60 or 70 dollars and I cannot rememberwhat grade it was advertised as. Yes I think it has been cleaned as well...Thanks again. Bustchaser: Done that a bit myself :-). Looking at the obv I do believe you're right! The edge lettering says very clearly 50IIIIIIICENTSIIIIIIIORIIIIIIIHALFIIIIIIIIAIIIIIIDOLLAR. Is this correct? Chris Yes, that is the correct edge lettering for 1835. Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LostDutchman Posted October 7, 2008 Report Share Posted October 7, 2008 I agree with bustchaser. That is one of the typically weakly struck areas on bust halves and one of the areas that I look at when determining if a coin is well struck or not. Completely normal for that series. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cbsmyth Posted October 8, 2008 Author Report Share Posted October 8, 2008 I agree with bustchaser. That is one of the typically weakly struck areas on bust halves and one of the areas that I look at when determining if a coin is well struck or not. Completely normal for that series. LostDutchman, I really appreciate you and Bustchaser znd Bill's help on this! This is a great forum and I am pleased and honoured to be a new member. My "home " forum is Hus's great coinsgb site...lots of great people there. I'd like to paraphrase a fellow collector from there, Ian's definition of profit ( we were discussing coins as an investment etc) He defined profit not only in monetary terms but also added in the enjoyment and friends and the learning process as well. I could not agree with him more! Thanks again guys! Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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