A superb gem, Brilliant Uncirculated, and as fine as could be desired. — Abe KosoffA remarkably flashy coin, with cartwheel luster that would better match a coin several grades higher than the grade assigned. Vibrant golden toning with shades of rose covers both sides, accentuating the burst of light from each spin of the luster.
The strike is remarkably sharp, showing flat stars on the right side of the obverse but making up for that area of deficiency nearly everywhere else. The vestiges of planchet adjustment that criss-cross the reverse are nearly all obliterated by this bold strike, though relics of them remain at center, near ST of STATES, and a few other areas. No heavy marks are seen, but the obverse shows some hairlines, including a short diagonal line on Libertys cheek and a longer vertical one that crosses it. The Y over the erroneous star is easily seen under low magnification.
The eye appeal is breathtaking, and precious few examples of this type have anything remotely resembling the luster and surfaces of this coin. As on the other Overton-121 in the D. Brent Pogue Collection, die clashes are seen on both sides, more noticeable in this die state after a few more clashes have befallen the die marriage. That die damage has taken a further toll and likely exacerbated the pace of a large die crack, now fully formed, from the denticle between 95 of the date into the lower bust. The relief of the die crack, particularly just below the bust truncation, suggests the die could not have survived much longer after this state.
The most recent edition of Stephen Hermanns Auction Prices Realized for Certified & Graded Bust Half Dollars 1794-1839 lists this cracked die state as Rarity-6? indicating uncertainty. There have been just three offerings since 2011 (VG-8, VG-10, and VF-20). We find no other offerings over the past decade of this die state in any grade better than Very Fine.
