Half Cents: some thoughts 1 1

[Henri Charriere]

Posted in the past 24 hours on the "For the Love of Copper" thread is what appears to be [at least to the untrained eye like mine] an ordinary collection of old coins compiled on several old cardboard holders. I took the liberty of checking the Set Registry, of which this collection is not a part, and discovered, though missing a single [key] date, they are anything but ordinary.

There are presently 352 compilations of Half Cents on the NGC Set Registry of which there are 10 subsets, as follows: 2- Liberty Cap, 2- Draped Bust, 2- Classic Head, 1 Braided Hair and 3 of various compositions embracing the entire Half Cent series.

Of the two compilations comprising the Draped Bust Half Cents, one features the complete series, 1800-1808, with 40 sets; the other titled "one-per-date," features 19. I believe it safe to say there are twice as many holes to be filled in the "complete" vs. "one-per-date" sets, and the set posted on the "Copper" thread features the complete series--minus a key example. [For purists, the # 1 ranked set lacks a single coin as well.]

Having taken the liberty of perusing the # 1 ranked set -- with the longest title I have ever seen (some 12 words!) -- as well as lowest ranked set (which had one prior view, or perhaps that was mine) I can state unequivocally that the member's modest post to the thread, along with a sense of humor, is a most remarkable, quite incredible achievement. One might be tempted to dismiss the series as being comprised primarily of low-ball coins, but that comes with the territory. One member's set consists of a single coin which he unabashedly states he had found in the back of a garbage truck. Now that's the spirit that any collector can admire!

So what to do about our fellow member's set minus one coin? Well, I figure if every member in good standing were to ante up a buck...  🤣

Ahhh, the joys of collecting!