1808/7 Draped Bust Half Cent. C-2. Rarity-3. AU Details--Scratch (PCGS). Plenty of good gloss engages the surfaces of this attractively original, medium copper-brown example. A blush of lighter golden-brown patina is evident along the upper obverse border around the word LIBERTY, indicating where original mint color was last to fade. Well centered in strike with most design elements fully rendered and sharp, a generally smooth appearance in hand further enhances this coins considerable eye appeal. Only under close inspection with a loupe will one discern a series of faint, wispy pin scratches over and around Libertys portrait that explain the PCGS qualifier.<p>Cohen-2 is by far the more readily obtainable die marriage of the 1808/7 half cent, its C-1 predecessor a notable rarity with perhaps just 16 to 20 coins extant. This variety is scarce in its own right, as the obverse suffered a terminal cud break at the upper right border that forced the Mint to retire the die. The reverse went on to strike normal date examples in the C-3 pairing, that variety clearly accounting for the majority of 1808-dated half cents produced.<p>The 1808 C-2 is a noteworthy condition rarity in all grades above VF; the sole Uncirculated survivor, the PCGS MS-64 BN from the Missouri Cabinet Collection, was auctioned by Ira & Larry Goldberg for $483,000 in January 2014, lot 90. This sharp and inviting AU offers superior quality and eye appeal for the assigned grade and is sure to catch the eye of astute half cent enthusiasts. Manley Die State 1.0.
