LOT WITHDRAWN Overall pale slate-grey with areas of darker bronze patina in the protected areas. The obverse is peppered with small marks in most areas, but these go largely unnoticed to the naked eye. An old scratch outside stars 12 and 13 has nicely worn into the surfaces and the adjustment marks at the lower reverse border are as-made. Remarkably sharp for the issue with strong definition to the central elements. Unlisted by Amato but ranked in sixth place for the variety on the Autumn 2019 revision of Steve Hermans <em>AMBPR.</em><em></em>The second anomaly of the 1797 Draped Bust half dollar can be observed on the opposite side of the coin and is a characteristic carried over from the previous, yet it would be omitted for the next decade of half dollar production. While the denomination, as represented by a fraction, is a familiar sight to early copper enthusiasts of the era, silver and gold coins bore no reference to their monetary worth apart from an elusive mention on the coins third side--the edge. For the precious metal issues of 1794 and 1795, size and weight were the primary distinguishing characteristics between denominations, and while these tactile references are perhaps adequate enough for experienced merchants, they do not assert the confidence that a stated, visual denomination conveys. Researcher Steve Tompkins speculates that it was the introduction of the quarter in 1796 that prompted the inclusion of the fractional denomination on the reverse of the half dollars of the same vintage. This notion of deliberateness is substantiated by the fact that once the initial fractioned-reverse was retired, it was replaced by another reverse exhibiting a denominated fraction, dispelling the likelihood that the feature was added in error. That lone replacement die was used to coin the balanced of 1797-dated halves, and half dollar production did not again resume until 1801, though by then the new Heraldic Eagle reverse motif had done away with a stated denomination, leading numismatic scholars further ponder its inclusion in the first place.
