The Link Early American Silver Collection of Flowing Hair and Draped Bust Half Dollars

关于此套币: Complete Redbook Set of Early American Silver Half Dollars from 1794 to 1839-O. This set contains a broad array of important rarities from the days of early America and has been assembled over a three decade period and counting. My set goals have always gravitated towards completing entire sets, compared to some collectors content with high grade coins whom avoid some true rarities that can only be obtained in lower grade. Within this set the Flowing Hair Half Dollars Varieties of 1794 to 1795 have all been found in mint state and graded by PCGS. Although mint state examples of the subvarieties are scarce. The Draped Bust Half Dollars with Small Eagle reverses from 1796 to 1797 are one of the keys to an American Type Set. Although available in AU and MS, the demand always exceeds supply. The Draped Bust Half with Heraldic Eagle Reverse from 1801 to 1807 include two varieties that are unknown in mint state. The 1806 Large Stars although only an R2 in rarity has not yet been reported in mint state, but many AU or better examples exist (43 currently listed at PCGS). The key by far to the Draped Bust Halves is a Redbook Variety only known by a total of seven examples. The famed 1806 Knob 6 No Stem Reverse is the rarest Half Dollar variety in the 1794 to 1839-O series. The variety is very easy to see quickly and a great coin for cherry pickers. The No Stem Reverse is also found on the common 1806 Pointed 6 Variety. Few sets have been completed that include this variety. There are currently a meer seven known examples. The current condition census at PCGS is XF40, VF35, VF35, F15, F12 and VG8. Interestingly, although prohibitively rare 1806 Knob 6 No Stem halves are found with two obvious die states. Two of the seven coins have a very large reverse cud (PCGS F15 and PCGS VG8). The "El Paso specimen" included in this set derived from the D. Brent Pogue Collection. Interestingly, Brent made me wait for six years after he outbid me the on this same coin in 2009. In the Capped Bust Lettered Edge Halves from 1807 to 1836, all varieties save three are available in MS (although some are very tough to find MS). Those three are the 1807 Bearded Goddess, the 1812/1 Large 8 and the famed 1817/4. Date sets often lack these coins because their grades would affect set averages. The Bearded Goddess variety made famous by the Bust Half Nut Club is possibly the most famous die crack in all of American numismatics. The O-111b Bearded Goddess Variety, as defined by Al Overton in his treatise of Early American Half Dollar Die Varieties, requires an extensive and thick crack from chin to chest that extends upwards through the eye. The finest Known are three AU55 specimens with over half a dozen known in AU total. Interestingly, this die marriage is actually profoundly rare without the chin to chest crack with only 5 known of the early die state. The 1812/1 Large 8 is the semi-key to the Lettered Edge Halves. Only about half a dozen are known in AU grades with PCGS recording currently, two in AU55 and 3 in AU50. However, the true King of the Capped Bust Series is the 1817/4 and no Bust Half Dollar set would be complete without one. Currently, 11 examples have been reported and of those 5 have significant damage. The condition census currently of undamaged coins includes the PCGS AU53 Eliasberg, the PCGS VF35 Meyer-Pogue, the Farley NGC VF25 (probably VF30 now), the Burke-Ross PCGS VF20, the Hansen-Whitham PCGS VF20, the Sharfman-Dosier PCGS F15, and last but not least the original Louisiana PCGS G6. As an aside, the 1817/4 Eliasberg specimen that is part of this set might have actually been the last coin Eliasberg added to complete his collection, despite claims that it was another coin. Finally, in the Capped Bust Reeded Edge Half Dollars from 1836 to 1839-O all varieties save one are readily available in mint state. I wish everyone luck on there building, hunting and cherry picking this fabulous series. One secret is that high grade rarities of early silver are actually scarcer than high grade gold coins from this period. And please reach out if you think you find something to improve my set.