1815/2 Capped Bust Half Dollar. O-101. Rarity-2. AU-55 (PCGS).A truly memorable example of this key date issue in the perennially popular Capped Bust half dollar series of 1807 to 1839. Satiny surfaces retain considerable luster and plenty of sharp to full detail. Isolated peripheral devices are a bit soft, including the date, but all are discernible. The strike is marginally off center with no denticulation along the upper obverse and lower reverse borders. Pleasantly toned with a smooth appearance in hand, we anticipate keen bidder interest in this premium Choice AU.The War of 1812 and, especially, the associated British burning of Washington, D.C. on August 24, 1814, caused considerable economic upheaval in the United States. Coins were hoarded by an uncertain public and, with no silver bullion being deposited in the Mint, half dollar coinage came to a halt in late 1814 and early 1815. The official end of the war came on December 24, 1814 with the signing of the Treaty of Ghent, although it did not come into effect for the United States until ratified by the Senate on February 17, 1815. By the end of that year, the economic situation had stabilized to the point where silver deposits once again began arriving at the Mint. The half dollar was the most popular denomination with contemporary bullion depositors, although the Mint was caught unprepared by the renewed demand and did not have any 1815-dated dies on hand. To allow coinage to resume as soon as possible, Mint employees retrieved an unused 1812-dated die, punched a 5 over the 2, and used this obverse to strike approximately 47,150 1815/2 half dollars. Overton-101 is the only known die marriage of this issue, although it comes in early and late states, the latter identifiable by peripheral die cracks on the reverse. While enough examples of both the O-101 and O-101a die states have survived to make both varieties readily obtainable, the lack of any other die marriages means that the 1815/2 is scarce compared to all other dates in the Capped Bust half dollar series. Given the popularity of this type among date and variety collectors alike, competition remains strong for attractive examples at all levels of preservation.
