1834 50C Large Date, Small Letters AU55 认证号32280552, PCGS号6165

This coin, and the next lot are two highlights of the present auction. While “only” AU55, these are two of the most stunning bust halves colorwise we have had the honor of offering. Brilliant, frosty silver centers yield to rich, concentric rings of rainbow color, evidence of decades of storage in a Wayte Raymond or other old cardboard album. It is clear that these two lots were a part of the same old time collection. O-105, R-1. PCGS 144, NGC 32, CAC 21. Throw away the price guides and don’t bother looking at the APRs. This coin is so wonderfully toned that if it was a Morgan dollar, it would garner a 9+ on our 10-point color scale. If the Northern Lights Collector was putting together an AU set of Bust halves, this would be his 1834! How many old time colored halves like this still exist? Good luck finding another! We expect to see world record bids when this one closes.

Gordon Wrubel

Quickfinder Notes: The Large Date, Small Letter variety (Overton #104 to 108) is a transitional issue which uses the previous year's obverse and a reverse sporting much smaller letter and numeral punches. On the Large Date obverse, the 1 and 4 are TALLER than the 8 and 3. The numerals are very close to the dentils below. Due to their size, Small Letter reverse has the words, as well as the letters, in the legend spaced APART and AWAY from the rim. Another diagnostic is that the center bar of the E in STATES ends in a TRIANGLE. On the Large Letter reverse, the center bar of the E ends in a VERTICAL BAR.

There are three major varieties of 1834: Large Date, Large Letter: Small Date, Small Letter; and Large Date, Small Letter. The first two outnumber the latter by a factor of 2-1 in total number graded and Mint State examples graded. But none of the three can be considered scarce. Each variety boasts many MS-65 examples. But as the December, 2013 population shows, each variety has only one or two in MS-66 or 67.

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Ron Guth

The 1834 Large Date, Small Letters Half Dollar is considered a major variety in the Half Dollar series.  It is made up of five different die varieties (Overton 104, O-105,O-106, O-107, and O-108), all of which are common in most grades.  Collectively, the five die varieties make up a Condition Census that is filled with MS65's and topped off by a single PCGS MS67.  D. Brent Pogue had two very nice examples of this variety (the  just mentioned PCGS MS67 and a colorful PCGS MS66) and, apparently, he could not decide on which one to keep -- so he kept both.