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Trivia Question (Seated Half Dimes)

27 posts in this topic

The Seated Half Dimes, minus the unique '70-S and the transitional '59 and '60 pieces, is probably the easiest of the Seated MS sets to complete in terms budget and availability.

 

Yes, even easier than the wimpy twenty-cent pieces because that set has the '76-CC. (Why are we even wasting time thinking about that series? Only TDN cares, and only for the proofs!)

 

For grades AU and MS, name the keys to this set.

 

Prize: knowledge!

 

EVP

 

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EVP, I could cheat and consult any number of books but this is off the top of my head:

 

38-0, 40-0 WD (always loved this date), 42-0 (full heads are super rare), 44-0, 46, 52-0 (I like this one but not a great rarity), 53-0 na (usually doggy), 64, 65, 66, 67 (the last 4 in circ only as in proof they're easy!). Those are my choices for AU.

 

In mint state the above are all rare too if not almost non-existant. The 64-67 are easier to find in MS than in circ. I'd also toss in the following in UNC as keys:

39-0, 40-0nd, 41-0, 50-0. Might have missed one of the later S mints like 65-s or 64-s. A small hoard of flat head 42-0's surfaced back in the 80's with Heritage.

That's the only reason a few of those are around today. The 38-0, 40-0 wd, 44-0, and 53-0 na are deusies in unc. I don't know if a 40-0 wd or 44-0 exist.

 

 

roadrunner

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How many keys you want??

 

In AU, 1838-O No Stars, 1840-O Drapery, 1842-O, 1844-O (biggie), 1846 (granddaddy), 1849-O, and 1853-O No Arrows (biggie). Many dates around the Civil War are semi-key.

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EVP, I could cheat and consult any number of books

 

I encourage cheating, especially if that means we're enhancing knowledge. I am, after all, using the article written by O'Donnell in the 6/99 CDN Monthly Supplemental...

 

Anyone else care to chime in? RR isn't the only one who knows Seated material, is he?

 

EVP

 

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Many dates around the Civil War are semi-key.

 

Keith,

 

Many folks seem to like them, but I don't really care for them either. I'd probably consider them semi-keys. Yet, O'Donnell seems to really like them. (I am loath to disagree with someone with his superb knowledge of the series!)

 

I hope Coinosaurus would join in... I think he'd like this question!

 

EVP

 

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I can see that since I looked real close at half dime pops that unc examples of every date "exist." And up to several of each. I would think twice about the

40-0 WD as this date comes doggy and I'd suspect that even the MS61 and 63 pieces graded might not meet everyone's definition of UNC. Suffice to say there is no gem of this date graded yet. That would be a treat. The set can be put together in nice AU to Mint State w/o the 1870-s of course.

 

roadrunner

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for me the seated half dimes legend obverse 1860 to 1873-s is a super rare almost impossible

set to get in superb gem mintstate let alone coins that are fully original thick skinned wihte and/or nicely toned

 

these coins are totally undervalued and underappreacited and destined one day for a better apprecaition

 

now for me when i am talking about the above i am talkingf about either fully original wildly toned or fully

original thick

skinned white coins

 

go try to find a fully original suberb gem ms 66 67 1873-s ............ they are super rare in 30 years

i have only seen one!

 

white thick skinned with great eye appeal and fully struck

a great coin as it is the sexy 1873 date also the last coin in the

series and an s mint

 

also for me the first date in the series the 1860 another sexy civil war date in superb gem

so called common date

well try to find this coin in 67/68 monster toned original or fully original and white

just impossible even with being the so called

most common coin in the series

 

if you look at the pcgs pop reports the legend obv 1860 to 1873 little half sister is

rare in 66 and practically non existant in 67 and the holy grail in 68!!!!!!

no more than two people if that could put together a set

in superb gem well no one could as some dates even do not exist in 65 and

i am sure with my standards some superb gem coins would not be so to me.............lol

 

also therre is a set pcgs put togswther in the mid 1990's that has all the finest coins graded pcgs

that is put away so to outdo this set

would be impossible one of a kind!!!!!!

 

look at the 65-s the 67-s i mean they just do not exist in gem!

 

if you ever get to rochester i could show you

a suppposedely common date superb gem to ultra superb gem

mintstate seated half dimes that are monster toned to fully original thick white

skinned milky surfaces that are the finest and then some and you could not in two lifetimes find other coins

better and most probably as good!! let alone the rarer dates!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

i mean even in choice unc not even gem some to most of these coins are rare!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

i guess you and i have a great difference of opinion on these but you and i can still be friends!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

maybe they are not popular and underapprecaited as they are one of the most impossible sets to complete even

in choice ms!!

 

sincerely michael

 

 

 

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My intent is to create a discussion on this series that relatively affordable...

 

My favorite thing about half dimes is that they are cheap enough that you can get stronger glasses to look at them as well as the coin. laugh.gif

 

Don't get me wrong, I like the ones I have (well, 2 of the 3), but darn it, they are so tiny it is hard to appreciate the designs.

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Michael is probably right on this as even for the most common dates, unscrewed with originals with eye appeal are rare enough. I remember NERCG breaking a roll of 1860-0 half dimes in the later 1970's. I thought that was incredible. Of course they were asking a ton of dough for each one. If not for that little hoard, 60-0's would probably be much tougher to find. I had Heritage send me a few of those flat head 42-0 half dimes to possibly purchase back in the mid-80's but I couldn't get past a flat head coin for something like $6-8K....they were blazing gem coins otherwise......most have been graded 64 or 65 since then. One full head PCGS65 42-0 recently sold at auction for well over $10K.

 

I've spent more time surveying the quarters and the same holds true for them. Original skinned whitish coins just don't exist in any significant quantity for any of the better dates. I own only one such coin myself and can't think of any other ones offhand that I have seen on better Philly, New Orleans, or S-mint coins.

Most have been either cleaned, dipped, or toned in the ensuing years.

 

roadrunner

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hi there roadrunner!!! and evp! hope to meet you both one day

 

also evp i guess i really went crazy on the halfdime post.........lol

 

but as usual you are not only an astute advanced collector with great taste in coins you always

have something great and informative and extremely intetresting to say on here

 

you never take anything the wrong way and are a sport and a gentleman!! thanks and hope no matter

waht you continue to post on here

 

sincerely and respectfdully michael

 

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