“Thomas Johnson was arraigned for stealing about $3 in silver change, out of a drawer in Mr. Joseph Wyeth’s store in Cambridge Street … Mr. W. soon ascertained by the lightness of his till, that the Colt carried weight; but he intercepted him in Leverett Street in the afternoon, and found upon him two half dollars, which from some peculiar marks, he was able to identify. – Guilty, without retiring.” — The Boston Morning Post, November 7, 1834 Dusky gold toning on the obverse shows highlights of rose, gold, and green in protected areas, intermingled with areas of brilliance that add a luminous appeal. The reverse is closer to mint brilliance, mellowed to attractive silver gray and showing subtle peeks of pastel blue, amber, and olive. Cartwheel luster swirls endlessly and assumes an especially satiny character on the reverse. The portrait of Liberty is particularly well realized for this date, showing expressive detail in the face and more fine detail in the hair than usually encountered. The stars, aside from stars 3 and 4, are soft at their centers, and some modest weakness is seen among the feathers left of the shield, but otherwise this piece is very well detailed. The aesthetic appeal is superb, and the surfaces are nearly immaculate. Aside from some trivial lines on Liberty’s cheek and two hairlines above the back of Liberty’s head, there are no surface marks of even minor consequence. A tiny bruise on the edge is barely visible below the 4 of the date. The Overton book calls the Large Date, Small Letters type “transitional,” bridging the gap from the “1833 master obverse die and large date punch” to the style that would be typical for the rest of 1834 and all of 1835 and 1836, with “small star punch on the obverse and small letter punch on the reverse.” Four die marriages make up this transitional type. The O-106 is interesting among them for its date, which Overton calls the “large crude 4 over small 4.” The M in AMERICA is problematic, with its “left stand ... thin, curved [and] recut,” as is typical of the Large Date, Small Letters type. The Small Date, Small Letters varieties of 1834, while using reverse punches that are the same size, show an intact M, suggesting this faulty punch was quickly replaced. Given the lack of “peculiar marks,” this coin is clearly not one of the half dollars stolen from Joseph Wyeth’s till. Considering its condition, this coin saw no tills at all, and its superb gem preservation ranks it as the single finest 1834 Large Date, Small Letters half dollar PCGS has certified. Given Mr. Wyeth’s ability to memorize distinguishing marks and instantly recognize coins he had seen previously, he would have been well qualified to be a professional grader. PCGS# 39910. NGC ID: 24FY.
