Oops another New Orleans notable

[JTO]

The 1839-O half-dollar was the first minted in New Orleans and not Philadelphia!

 

How could I forget the first New Orleans half-dollar. This has always been a favorite of mine. Although many reference books describe the first New Orleans half-dollar as being one of the few 1838 proof issues, current research suggests most if not all, most likely all, were minted in Philadelphia. This has to do with the dye characteristics and the proof quality. As for the re-punched mint mark it turns out this is the more common of the varieties and as such carries no premium. The single punched mint mark is less common but I don't think it commands a premium. This coin is also a hard to track down, regardless of RPM or not, as most have found homes with collectors such as me to appreciate them greatly for what they are. This coin is just another fascinating, in my opinion, addition to the New Orleans type story. If my posts are excessive please leave comments and I will tone them down.

 

 

 

John

 

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[dadams]

Very Nice!! and I enjoyed checking out your New Orleans, The Forgotten Mint Custom Registry Set (thumbs u

 

I always appreciate a post where I learn something new:

The 1839-O half-dollar was the first minted in New Orleans and not Philadelphia!

 

. . . Although many reference books describe the first New Orleans half-dollar as being one of the few 1838 proof issues, current research suggests most if not all, most likely all, were minted in Philadelphia . . .

 

From the auction of an 1838-O 50C Proof @ HA I read:

"The official report from the New Orleans Mint indicates no half dollars were struck at that facility in 1838. This lack of official documentation has resulted in much confusion over the years, with several ingenious theories introduced to explain the existence of the coins, which everyone agrees were not struck at New Orleans in 1838. Recent discoveries by several researchers have caused a change of thinking about the origins of the 1838-O and its fundamental nature. In the recently published monograph The Surprising History of the 1838-O Half Dollar, Heritage numismatists David Stone and Mark Van Winkle present evidence that the 1838-O was struck on two occasions, with Originals struck in early 1838 at the Philadelphia Mint as essais, to test the dies, and Restrikes made in January 1839 at the New Orleans Mint, to test a newly arrived coin press."

 

Thanks for the Journal entry!

 

-d

 

P.S. - I like your 1899 Proof Set also.