Saturday guess the grade and Overton, and Oldie but and easy one!

[jtryka]

Ok, it's been a while since I got anything, but I put this one on layaway at JJ Teaparty in anticipation of my tax refund which arrived a week or so ago, so here she is! Take a crack at the grade and Overton variety, which should be easy since there were only 4 for this year!

 

[MBA101]

I know which one it is! Nice coin!

[Buffalo Head]

Overton 102 is my guess but I forgot to grade it, so I'll be back and edit for the grade. I'll go with a F-12 and just let me add....Nice coin and congrats on a coin that is true early Americana....Joe

[Keigwin]

I'm not a draped bust collector but I'll wager it's O.101. Looks to me like 12 arrows, not 13.

Lance.

 

edited to add grade guess: VF20

[johnny9434]

nice half jt. i like ( sorry im not good with the overton stuff )

[Hard Times]

VF20, possibly a 25

[SkyMan]

I don't know Overton's AT ALL, but that sure looks like an attractive coin to me.

[jtryka]

Well, everyone seems pretty much in agreement on the VF grade, but we are tied with one vote each for the O-101 and O-102, anyone want to cast a tiebreaking vote?

[SlumLord98-migration]

This is an O.101, attributed by leaftip attached to lower base of I. On O.102 the leaf tip is below I.

 

Attributing 1803s is easy. The most obvious is the shape of the 3 with the so-called large 3 with flat top and the so-called small three with the angled top. Another quick check to separate O.103 is the size of the reverse stars; on reverse C they are much larger. 103 and 104 share this reverse which was also used in 1805 on O.112. The tail feathers are different between 1803 O.101 and O.102; while both have the small stars reverse, O.102 has a reverse of the same style as found on 1801 and 1802 half dollars with the tail feathers bunched together. This might be a clue that it was the first die marriage of 1803 but it was more likely a leftover die from 1802, and with a shared obverse with O.101, it is obvious that the latter was struck first due to signs of die wear on O.102.

 

If you want an 1803 dated coin that was actually struck in 1803, choose O.101. These were coined beginning in August 1803. 21,000 half dollars were delivered by the coiner on Aug. 29, followed by 9539 on Sept. 3rd and another 1176 on Sept. 14th. Director Boudinot ordered the mint closed then and all bullion, coins and dies were delivered to the First Bank of the U.S. at 120 S. 3rd St., a short distance from the mint. The mint did not reopen until November 1st and no half dollars were coined until April 1804. Another 156k or so halves were coined that year and these were O.102-O.104. If you want an '1804' half dollar, find one of these die marriages.