1856 Braided Hair Half Cent. C-1. Rarity-1. MS-64 RD (PCGS). OGH. Type: Type VI: Braided Hair.Design: Obv: Liberty faces left, a coronet inscribed LIBERTY on her head. Thirteen stars encircle the portrait with the date 1856 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 mm.Die Variety: Cohen-1, Breen-1, 2, Gilbert-1. Obv: The only 1856-dated obverse in the half cent series. The digits 18 in the date are joined at their base, the right side of the lower loop of the 8 joined to the knob of the 5 by a tiny die line. There is a tiny die rust lump at the bottom of Libertys neck in front of the lowest curl. What appears to be a small, faint die defect in the field to the left of the 6 in the date is actually the remnant of the flag of an otherwise effaced slanting 5 from an errant digit punch. Rev: Small berries on the branch. The base of both As in AMERICA are open due to repolishing of the die, although the die rust lump on the left upright of the letter H in HALF is still visible, where strike allows. This die was used earlier in the 1854 C-1 pairing.Die State: Manley 2.0, the usual state. Obv: The die has been repolished, weakening the denticulation along the upper border. Rev: The reverse has also been repolished, the rust lump at the top of the upright of the letter I in UNITED no longer evident, and the denticulation weak along the lower border.Edge: Plain.Mintage: 40,430 coins.Estimated Surviving Population for the Issue: Since there is only a single die variety known for the circulation strike 1856 half cent, the estimated surviving population for the issue is the same as that for the die variety.Estimated Surviving Population for the Die Variety: Rarity-1: More than 2,000 coins in all grades.Strike: Otherwise sharp to full striking detail wanes minimally at the upper obverse and lower reverse borders, commensurate with the Manley 2.0 die state, as well as over stars 5 and 6, which are blunt and lack centrils.Surfaces: Beautiful pinkish-rose and orange-red colors are seen on both sides, intermingled with powder blue highlights. Several shallow planchet flaws (as made) are evident in the center of the reverse, probably the result of a strike through, but the denomination HALF CENT is fully legible despite softness to the letter E. A few faint speckles of carbon are mentioned solely for accuracy, the surfaces free of detracting marks and overall smooth.Commentary: As with the 1854, the 1856 is an issue where controversy surrounds the designations of its die varieties and states. The Breen-1 and 2 attributions for this issue correspond to Manley Die States 1.0 and 2.0, respectively, the latter author suggesting that only a single reverse die was used for all 1856 half cents. Manley asserts that this reverse die was inherited from the 1854-dated issue, his State 1.0 retaining the die rust lump on the letter I in UNITED from his State 2.0 of 1854. The reverse was later repolished, removing the die rust lump and resulting in Manley State 2.0 for the 1856 issue. Cohen also believed that there was only a single die pairing for this issue although Breen, as above, assigned both B-1 and 2 attributions to the 1856 in his belief that there were two different reverse dies used. This debate continues.The 1856 is far scarcer than the 1851, 1853 and 1855 in an absolute sense, and rarer than the 1851 and 1855 in full Red Mint State, as here. A find for the better date type collector or advanced half cent enthusiast. From the ESM Collection. Earlier from Heritages New York, NY Signature Sale, July 2004, lot 5043.
