1809 Classic Head Half Cent. C-4. Rarity-2. Small o Inside 0. AU-55 (PCGS). Type: Type V: Classic Head.Design: Obv: Liberty faces left, her hair bound by a fillet inscribed LIBERTY. Thirteen stars are arranged around the border, seven left and six right, with the date 1809 below. Rev: A single branch bound at the bottom by a single bowed ribbon surrounds the denomination HALF CENT. The legend UNITED STATES OF AMERICA is around the border.Weight Standard: 84 grains (5.44 grams).Diameter: 23.5 mm.Die Variety: Cohen-4, Breen-1, Gilbert-1. Obv: A small circle is evident within the digit 0 in the date, stars 3, 6 and 10 lightly repunched (visible only in earlier die states, see below). The crack that crosses Libertys portrait through the hair above her shoulder was present when this die was made, a relic of the portrait hub that produced it. This is the only use of this obverse. Rev: The highest leaf on the branch extends well beyond the final letter S in STATES, reaching nearly to the letter O in OF. The tip of the branch stem is missing. This is the only use of this reverse.Cohen-4 is the only die variety of the Small o Inside 0 <em>Guide Book</em> variety of the 1809 half cent.Die State: Manley 2.0, described as "rare." Obv: The die is worn, reground and repolished, the texture rough throughout and the high points of Libertys portrait lightly struck. Border denticulation is weak to absent, and the repunching on stars 3, 6 and 10 is no longer visible. Rev: The reverse die is also worn, reground and repolished, several leaves in the wreath very faint, especially the one below the letters ER in AMERICA. The ribbon and stem are soft, as is the denticulation, which is actually absent around much of the border. On the other hand, the leaf below the final letter A in AMERICA is well struck.Edge: Plain.Mintage: There is some discrepancy within the numismatic literature regarding the number of half cents struck during calendar year 1809. The <em>Guide Book</em> provides a mintage of 1,154,272 coins, but Breens total is 1,253,572 coins, the latter figure achieved in five deliveries:-March 30: 120,000 coins-June 3: 483,572 coins-June 29: 182,000 coins-September 29: 210,000 coins-December 31: 258,000Estimated Surviving Population for the Issue: 6,850 to 8,650 or more coins in all grades.Estimated Surviving Population for the Die Variety: Rarity-2: 600 to 2,000 coins in all grades.Strike: Both sides are a bit lightly struck overall, commensurate with the advanced die state, but all major design elements are appreciable. The impression is drawn trivially to 3 oclock, the right border on both the obverse and reverse devoid of denticulation.Surfaces: Glossy copper-brown patina is seen on the obverse, while the reverse exhibits warmer olive-copper toning overall. The surfaces are hard and satiny with no marks of note, tiny obverse carbon spot at star 11.Commentary: The hallmark of the 1809 C-4 die variety is an interesting characteristic of the date, showing a "circle" within the digit 0. As Breen and Manley point out, the 0 is actually punched over a smaller 0; Breen posits that it may be one intended for a half eagle die. The aspect is visible here under low magnification, although the "circle" is weak and mushy due to the advanced die state. Cohen-4 is a conditionally challenging 1809 half cent with most survivors in VF and lower grades. The Missouri Cabinet-Pogue specimen in PCGS MS-66 BN is one of the two finest known and realized $105,750 as lot 5061 in our March 2017 Pogue V sale. We have only offered a handful of About Uncirculated coins in recent decades, making this a significant bidding opportunity for half cent variety collectors. From the ESM Collection.
