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My OTHER Big Baltimore Purchase - A 1795 Half Dollar

Started by BillJones,

23 posts in this topic

BillJones

BillJones

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1795HalfDolO.jpg1795HalfDolR.jpg

 

This is the other big item I found at the most recent Baltimore show. It is a 1795 half eagle in PCGS EF-45. I probably paid too much for this piece, and if I had run into the 1795 half eagle first, I would not have bought this coin. Still it was a big ungrade for me. Now I have the three 1794-5 Flowing Hair silver type coins in grades that make me happy.

 

It has been my observation that the half dollar is generally the poorest struck of the three Flowing Hair type coins. (The others are the half dime and the silver dollar.) There has always been a huge gap in price for this between the VF grade and anything that graded EF or better. That gap caught me years ago when I was collecting early type, and I just could not swing anything better than a VF-30 for this type.

 

This coin is remarkable in that its surfaces are totally original and have never been cleaned or doctored. It also has ZERO defects. There is not a mark or a scrach on it. Somehow it made it through a couple years of circulation without getting a single mark.

 

The Overton variety is 104 for this piece, which is an R-4 (76 to 200 examples known). According to the Overton book, the condition census is topped off by an EF-45 coin. I doubt that this is that coin, but it is an indicator that this piece is probably among the finest known for the variety.

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rbrown4

rbrown4

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That is one nice Flowing Hair Half. The information you provided makes it even better. Nice looking and a great acquisition.

 

Rey

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Neko

Neko

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Wow!!! I love that half. I know what you're saying about trying to find those that are totally original. Nice find. cloud9.gif

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CarlWohlforth

CarlWohlforth

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Nice! That grade is just fine for me too. That example really works for me.

 

Your type set must be very close to complete. Naturally a "complete" type set can never be complete. But I'm sure yours is more complete than most and certainly is more complete than mine was before I broke it up. I never had any flowing hair coins...

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EZ_E

EZ_E

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Bill, what more could a type collector ever want than your example! cloud9.gif

 

She is such a beauty! thumbsup2.gif

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BillJones

BillJones

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Nice! That grade is just fine for me too. That example really works for me.

 

Your type set must be very close to complete. Naturally a "complete" type set can never be complete. But I'm sure yours is more complete than most and certainly is more complete than mine was before I broke it up. I never had any flowing hair coins...

 

Actually my gold type set is at 81%, and my general type set (copper, nickel and silver) is at 80% according the numbers in the NGC registry. You can check them out.

 

Bill Jones Type Set

 

Bill Jones Gold Type Set

 

The gold set lacks six of the twelve early types. At present I can only really hope to afford two of those if they crop up.

 

My general type set lacks only one type, the 1796-7 half dollar, which at present is out of my financial reach. I have the others, but some of them can’t be slabbed or are not worth slabbing. My goal is to acquire those missing pieces slabbed and sell off the duplicates. I also buy the modern coins in PR-69 Ultra Cam when I can find them cheap at the shows.

 

It’s interesting that over the years I have seen some of the coins I needed and actually had one on consignment for the business. That one was the 1796 No Stars quarter eagle. The price to me was $85,000, and the coin, which was in an NGC AU-50 holder, was simply wonderful. I tried to get my best customer at the time to buy it because (1) it was a wonderful coin and (2) I thought that if he held it for couple years, he’d make a lot of money. He passed, and my prediction about the money part would have come true if he had bought it. Today it’s in a PCGS AU-58 holder.

 

JJ Teaparty once had a 1796 half dollar in VF and raw as most early coins were back then. The piece would have fit in perfectly with my other coins of the period, but once more the $28,000 price was fair but beyond my means. Today I bet it would cost close to $100 grand to duplicate that coin. People are paying $50 grand for examples that have been repaired, which is nuts IMO.

 

Oh well I’ve been able to take advantage of enough good deals over the years that I should never be caught complaining.

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