Half Dollars

Half dollar overview:
Flowing Hair Half Dollar 1794-1795
Draped Bust Half Dollar-small eagle 1796-1797
Draped Bust Half Dollar-large eagle 1801-1807
Capped Bust Half Dollar-50C. below eagle 1807-1836
Capped Bust Half Dollar-50 Cents below eagle 1836-1837
Capped Bust Half Dollar-Half Dol. below eagle 1838-1839
Seated Liberty Half Dollar-Half Dol. below eagle 1839-1853
Seated Liberty Half Dollar-arrows at date and rays around the eagle 1853
Seated Liberty Half Dollar-arrows at date 1854-1855
Seated Liberty Half Dollar-Half Dol. below eagle 1856-1866
Seated Liberty Half Dollar with motto "In God We Trust" added 1866-1873
Seated Liberty Half Dollar with motto and arrows added at date 1873-1874
Seated Liberty Half Dollar with motto 1875-1891
Barber Half Dollar 1892-1915
Walking Liberty Half Dollar 1916-1947
Franklin Half Dollar 1948-1963
Kenned Half Dollar 1964-

Capped Bust Half history, minting process, and striking irregularities

The term "Bust halves" actually applies to the Draped Bust halves as well as the Capped Bust halves minted between 1796 and 1839. The Draped Bush halves have two distinct designs:  one has a small eagle on the reverse (1796-1797)  and the other with the large or Heraldic eagle (1801-1807) on the reverse. All bust halves had the lettered edged designating the denomination until the last two year of production . Originally, all halves were struck with screw presses. After the introduction of steam power the haves were minted with reeded edges.
   In 1805 US mint director Elias Boudinot resigned and newly appointed director Robert Patterson requested permission of President Thomas Jefferson to hire a new engraver to redesign all denominations of US coinage. During 1807 Patterson hired John Reich as the assistant mint engraver under chief mint engraver Robert Scot. Reich was then charged by Patterson to design and engrave new dies for the half dollar. In the latter part of 1807 John Reich’s newly designed Capped Bust Half (CBH) replaced the Draped Bust Half.
   Reich continued to work as the assistant mint engraver for 10 years with very modest pay and resigned in 1817 from the mint to pursue the private business sector. Chief engraver Robert Scot continued Reich’s basic design for six more years until his death in 1823. Following Robert Scot, William Kneass was appointed Chief engraver to the mint and likewise continued Reich’s design with no major changes until 1836.
   A new US mint was completed in 1833 and the manual screw presses were finally phased out on March 23, 1836. The newly designed Reeded CBH was introduced and replaced John Reich’s CBH design. During this 29 year period (1807-1936), Reich’s CBHs were produced each year with the exception of 1816, which was a result of a fire in 1815 that destroyed the coin presses. Production of coinage did not resume again until 1817.

The Coining Process
Silver ingots at the mint were fed into a rolling machine that would flatten the ingots into silver sheets. These sheets were then placed in an annealing oven to help prevent brittleness and cracking. The sheets were cut into silver strips slightly wider than the half dollar, greased and pulled through a drawing machine to get the proper thickness. After being washed and annealed again, they were sent to a screw press style cutter that punched out the silver planchets or flans. The planchets were again annealed, washed and then weighed. Those weighing more than the specified amount of 208 grains would be adjusted by filing across the face of the planchet and those that weighed too little were returned to the furnace melting pot. The correctly weighted planchets were then placed in an edge lettering machine, that impressed the lettering around the outside rim of the coin “FIFTY CENTS OR HALF A DOLLAR” and also raised the rim of the coin to receive the dentils. At this point the planchet was ready to be impressed or struck in the coin press. The press was basically a screw press type of machinery that was manually powered. By turning the long horizontal arms of the press, a screwing action would force the CBH die down into the planchet and impress or squeeze the silver planchet into the voids of the dies (obverse die on top and reverse die on the bottom). This striking or squeezing action left an impression of the die on the planchet, thus creating the capped bust coin. For a more detailed account of the coining process and operation of the early mint refer to: The US Mint and Coinage, by Don Taxay.

Adjustment Marks
Bust halves are occasionally found with marks that may resemble light gash lines crisis-crossing the face of the coin. These types of marks or lines are called adjustment marks and are the result of the planchet being filed to remove silver so it will weigh the specified amount before being struck in the press. The striking process will normally obliterate many of the lines, however some will still show in areas of weakness where the coin is not fully struck up (refer to photo). Inexperienced collectors will often assume early bust halves with these types of adjustment marks are coins that have been damaged or scratched through careless handling as opposed to as minted pieces. It is interesting to have such a piece in hand, thinking back about the mint worker 200 years ago weighing and then filing the silver planchet in preparation for the coin press. Adjustment marks are also common on early silver dollars 1794-1803.

Striking Weakness
Areas of capped bust half striking weakness that occur on a specimen can be the result of several factors. Where the weakness occurs in all or most examples of a particular variety then improper design or workmanship of the die resulting in incorrect silver flowage to the devices is the probable cause. Where the weakness occurs in later die states, broken, worn or lapped and polished dies are most likely the cause. If strike weakness varies slightly from other examples of the same variety and is not due to worn or cracked dies then the cause is generally due to strike quality of the manual screw press operation. Areas that are most commonly seen with weakness on the obverse are hair detail on liberty, the area around the clasp, the stars and dentil border. On the reverse, the eagle's talons/claws, olive branch, 50C denomination and arrow heads. Other areas of weakness on the reverse is the eagle's left wing, the scroll E Pluribus Unum with the weakness sometimes continuing into the letters of States. The crossbars and stripes are sometimes weakly struck on the shield as well.

The 1814 O-108 & O-108a (A/E variety) show a general weakness of the eagle's head and left wing. Earlier die states show weakness of these areas but later die states such as this example of O-108a show even less detail and almost complete smoothness of the head and upper left wing. This specimen graded PCGS AU-55.  Click the thumbnail to enlarge the photos.

     

The 1830 O-119 (medium O die variety) is found with a flat strike to the top portion of shield. The horizontal cross bars are mostly filled and smooth. Even a mint state example will show flatness and little detail. The example pictured at the left is typical of what you should expect to find on this variety. This piece graded PCGS AU-55.

     

The scroll on the reverse of many bust halves may be found weakly struck in various areas. On this particular variety 1834 O-114 there is a general weakness between the E and I of E Pluribus Unum with most letters of Plur missing or weakly struck. The E in the scroll was removed by the engraver and recut more to the left. This example graded mint state.

     

Capped Bust/lettered edge half dollars are plentiful in low to high circulated grades. They're also available in mint state grades up to MS-64.  Mint State 65 and higher grade coins are much less plentiful therefore their values rise substantially in these grades. Most of the bust halves were used in commerce. Key grading areas to help determine wear include the drapery in front of the bust as well as the eagle's wings. To the new collector though, a poor strike or worn die strikes might be confused as wear. It takes lots of study, in particular examining lots of graded bust halves, to learn to identify poor strikes (whether due to worn dies or just striking weakness) versus actual wear on a coin. It is common to see some MS64 and MS65 bust halves with beautiful bold luster and the word Pluribus on the reverse almost not discernable.  A coin like this may look so beautiful and stunning and when you view the reverse you wonder where the PLUR in pluribus went!

Lay-a-ways available. Just ask!

Coin Type	Description	Price	Picture
1819 Capped Bust Half. ANACS MS61	Inbound	TBD
1820 Capped Bust Half Raw.	Nice early date Capped Bust Half.	$275
1824 Capped Bust Half ANACS MS62	Original coin with great luster. Great original look.	$1995
1825 Capped Bust Half Raw.	Very lusterous CBH with  beautiful peripheral toning.	$595
1825 Capped Bust Half PCGS MS61	Original light even toning over lusterous surfaces for the collector that appreciates originality.	$1795
1825 Capped Bust Half ANACS MS61	Early lusterous bust half.	TBD
1827 Capped Bust Half ANACS MS61	Spectacular peripheral toning.	TBD
1827 Capped Bust Half NGC MS62	Virtually white with great luster. Great type coin.	$1995
1828 Capped Bust Half NGC AU50	Very lusterous with a strong strike. This one would make a great type set addition.	$495
1828 Capped Bust Half ANACS MS63	This is a gorgeous early capped bust half.	TBD
1829 Capped Bust Half NGC MS62	Spectacular light golden centers radiating to gorgeous peripheral toning. Great luster.	$2150
1831 Capped Bust Half NGC MS64	Gorgeous blazing cartwheel luster.  It will be difficult to find a nicer one in a MS64 holder!	$4250
1832 Capped Bust Half PCGS MS62	Very pretty coin. Great surfaces with no heavy hits. Perfect capped bust type coin.	$1950
1834 Capped Bust Half NGC MS62	Another beautiful capped bust half	TBD
1877-CC Seated Liberty Half NGC MS63	Carson City half dollar. NGC MS63. Virtually white.	SOLD