Goldberg Coins and Collectibles

Sale 37

Pre-Long Beach Coin and Currency Auction

Half Dimes

Lot	Photo	Description	Realized
Lot 1453		1794 Flowing Hair Half Dime. NGC graded MS-64 V-4. Well struck with lovely blue and grey toning on both sides. Well detailed for this more difficult early Flowing Hair half dime, a low mintage year, the initial year of the design (and always popular as such), with soft golden-brown highlights plus vibrant blue iridescence that add considerably to the appeal of this nearly gem quality specimen. Close to a landmark offering for the 1794 date! Pop 17; 4 in 65; 1 in 66. This variety is instantly recognized by a glance at the reverse, where a leaf is merged with the base of the I in AMERICA. The obverse has heavy clash marks while the reverse has cracks through D to the wreath, and from the rim to the right stem, wreath, and eagle's tail. Estimated Value $40,000 - 45,000. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $48,300
Lot 1454		1795 Flowing Hair Half Dime. NGC graded LM-10, V-4, Rarity-3. MS-67 Star. Well struck with wonderful blue and golden toning. A great coin and worthy for the finest type set. A stunning gem specimen of this type, one of the very finest Flowing Hair half dimes in existence. Frosty silver gray surfaces are overlaid with exceptionally attractive shades of bright blue and deep violet on the obverse in a nice kaleidoscope display, while the reverse shows the same color scheme with the addition of light champagne gold. The luster is satiny and complete. Careful scrutiny with a magnifying glass reveals no marks of note whatsoever, suggesting very careful handling since 1795. It is probable that this piece, and the handful of other nice Mint State pieces of this date and die pair in particular, trace their lineage to the Rea Hoard, a group of 1795 half dimes that was dispersed by W. Elliot Woodward beginning prior to 1864. As described in Dave Bowers' book American Coin Treasures and Hoards, "In 1795, a Roxbury, Massachusetts lady named Rea is said to have received a 'little hoard' of glittering new half dimes of the date as a birthday present." Perhaps a couple dozen of this pieces have survived, most admittedly quite nice, often grading in the Mint State 64 to Mint State 65 range. The specimen in the Oliver Jung Collection was undoubtedly from the same group. It was untoned and graded Mint State 66 by PCGS. This piece is tied for the very finest of the date and the entire type graded by NGC. It deserves a place in the collection of an advanced numismatists who appreciates its unusual story of preservation, its glorious toning, and its residency near the summit of the list of survivors of the Flowing Hair type. (NGC serial number 1893659-001. Pop 5; none finer; tied for finest. Diagnostics for LM-10, Valentine-4: This variety is instantly recognized by a glance at the reverse, where a leaf is merged with the base of the I in AMERICA. The obverse has heavy clash marks while the reverse has cracks through D to the wreath, and from the rim to the right stem, wreath, and eagle's tail. There is a rim cud at TY of LIBERTY joining the nearby star. Historic note: We can thank the Breen encyclopedia of U.S. coins for its insightful history of the flowing hair half dimes of 1794-95. For uncertain reasons, the Birch design used on the 1792 half dime was discarded in favor of the flowing hair design found on the dollar, half dollar, and copper coins of 1794. Little is known of the accepted design's origins. Mint engraver Robert Scot apparently copied it from the cents, omitting the liberty cap; but it is reminiscent of Joseph Wright's original 1793 Liberty cap cent design only in the same way that the Lincoln Memorial on the present-day cent is reminiscent of the actual building. These heads were mostly engraved until well into 1795 as Scot did not at the outset know how to make a device punch, and one that he finally did make for half dimes broke at the tip of the bust. His attempt to make these half-dime designs match the larger silver coins reflects a Mint policy which became standard for over a century: All gold coins should share a common design, all silver another, all copper a third (preferably like the silver but minus the eagle). Mint Director David Rittenhouse derived this policy from British and French coins of the period. Estimated Value $90,000 - 110,000. View details and enlarged photos	Unsold
Lot 1455		1797 Draped Bust Half Dime. 15 stars. NCS graded Fine Details Environmental Damage. We note the surfaces are rough and slightly discolored from cleaning. Regardless of the problems, this is a rare coin with decent details and certainly worth our estimate. Estimated Value $1,000 - 1,200. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $1,323
Lot 1456		1800 Draped Bust Half Dime. PCGS graded AU-58 PQ. Nicely toned on both sides. A heart-stopping high grade example of this desirable Type coin, with the clean surfaces and natural color, something of the premium quality one likes to see for this actively collected design. Worth a premium bid for the premium quality. Pop 11; 27 finer. (PCGS # 4264) . Estimated Value $10,000 - 11,000. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $12,650
Lot 1457		1800 Draped Bust Half Dime. EF-40. Well struck with decent detail for the grade and some marks about the rims. Cleaned at one time, now grayish-violet that deepens about the borders. Estimated Value $2,500 - 2,700. The Greenhill Collection. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $2,875
Lot 1458		1831 Capped Bust Half Dime. NGC graded MS-68. Needle sharp and totally white. A nice example of this date and type, the fields being matte and lustrous, the designs boldly struck and well detailed. Incredibly superb for an early Bust half dime, substantial detail is found on the highpoints on this fine example. A coin for the perfectionist in all of us! NGC #1727173-001. Pop 1; 1 finer in 68 Star. Estimated Value $11,000 - 12,000. The Greenhill Collection. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $14,950
Lot 1459		1832 Capped Bust Half Dime. NGC graded MS-66. Royal blue and natural russet toning on both sides. Pop 48; 10 finer. Estimated Value $2,300 - 2,400. The Greenhill Collection. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $2,933
Lot 1460		1836 Capped Bust Half Dime. Large 5¢. PCGS graded MS-65. Lovely medium violet and electric blue toning on both sides. Pop 17; 6 finer; 5 im 66, 1 in 67. (PCGS # 4287) . Estimated Value $2,000 - 2,100. The Greenhill Collection. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $2,530
Lot 1461		1838 Liberty Seated Half Dime. NGC graded MS-68 Star. Wonderful rainbow toning on both sides. Perhaps the finest known. Nice bold strike. Beginning at the Philadelphia Mint in 1838 and stopping abruptly in November 1840, working dies for the seated Liberty half dime were made from the No Stars hub of 1837. However, stars were hand-punched into these working dies around the obverse border. This is known as the "No Drapery" style to distinguish it from the "No Stars" of 1837-38, and it was produced, as noted, in only three calendar years. The first-year 1838, therefore, enjoys immense collector interest since it is the first year of a new issue. There is also, of course, type pressure from general collectors hoping to acquire a top-end Gem regardless of date but zeroing in on surface condition. For the type collector who will accept only finest for his collection, we are proud to present this monumental No Drapery half dime. The surfaces glow with a kaleidoscope of hues. The photographs, thanks to our star photographer, do it full justice. Dancing mint luster is seen propelling the vibrancy outwards and upwards, while the devices are completely full. Blemish-free, this coin is of the highest rarity and among the most prestigious No Drapery half dime known to the two major grading services. NGC serial #3001730-001. Pop 1; none finer; recently graded. In all, some 4,218,150 (plus an unknown number of Proofs) of this design came from Philadelphia, with an additional 1.8 million from New Orleans. The old hubs were abandoned late in 1840 in favor of the new Robert Hughes design, allegedly an improvement, in actuality the exact opposite. Estimated Value $20,000 - 25,000. View details and enlarged photos	Unsold
Lot 1462		1840 Liberty Seated Half Dime. No drapery. PCGS graded MS-65. Well struck with satiny luster that is overlaid with natural pale pinkish-golden toning Pop 18; 15 finer. (PCGS # 4321) . Estimated Value $1,500 - 1,600. The Greenhill Collection. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $1,898
Lot 1463		1840 Liberty Seated Half Dime. Drapery. PCGS graded MS-64. Well struck and nicely toned. Pop 14; 5 finer (PCGS # 4326) . Estimated Value $800 - 900. The Greenhill Collection. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $1,236
Lot 1464		1841-O Liberty Seated Half Dime. NGC graded MS-66. Frosty white coin. This issue's original mintage of 815,000 pieces may be respectable by the standards of the early Seated Half Dime series, but it is still limited in an absolute sense. Add to this a heavy rate of attrition from domestic circulation and one can easily understand why the 1841-O is a scarce-to-rare coin in all grades. Gems (MS-65 and MS-66) currently number just four pieces at PCGS and NGC, and all of these coins easily qualify as high Condition Census. As befits the die marriage, this gorgeous example possesses overall sharp striking definition that is perhaps most praiseworthy over Liberty's head and foot on the obverse. Shimmering, softly frosted luster is full throughout, and the surfaces are untoned save for the lightest whispers of golden iridescence here and there at the rims. With no outwardly distracting handling marks, this coin is solidly graded at the MS-66 level. A loupe reveals a tiny reverse abrasion in the field below the L in HALF that should help trace the pedigree of this important rarity in the Half Dime series. Light clashmarks (as struck) are seen in a few isolated field areas around the central devices, particularly on the reverse. A loupe also reveals evidence of light die rust (again, as made) both in the fields and over several of the devices. The latter feature is seen quite often on Seated coinage from the New Orleans Mint. Pop 2; 1 finer in 67. Estimated Value $6,000 - 7,000. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $10,925
Lot 1465		1843 Liberty Seated Half Dime. NGC graded MS-65. Well struck and totally white with a small black spot near the 7th star. Pop 19; 9 in MS-66. Estimated Value $750 - 800. The Greenhill Collection. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $891
Lot 1466		1854 Liberty Seated Half Dime. NGC graded MS-65. A nice strike with light toning around the edges. A russet golden gem with strong underlying luster. Nicely struck, in fact, fully so on the stars, Liberty, the date, arrows, and wreath. Indeed, the strike of the present coin easily betters most that are seen on higher grade specimens. Pop 50; 18 finer. Estimated Value $1,000 - 1,100. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $1,150
Lot 1467		1859 Liberty Seated Half Dime. PCGS graded Proof 62. Some tone rests within the devices. A sharp Proof of this transitional year believed to have been struck by dies engraved by Anthony C. Paquet. The unique stars have hollow centers, unlike those used on other U.S. coins (PCGS # 4438) . Estimated Value $600 - 700. The Greenhill Collection. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $805
Lot 1468		1860 Liberty Seated Half Dime. NGC graded MS-67 Star. Spectacular bulls-eye toning on both sides. Aesthetically appealing, a handsome full strike bristling with bright mint bloom and captivating colors. Unlike most which are not quite fully struck, this marvel of precision minting shows all regions crisply detailed including the centers. Pop 1; 5 finer; 4 in 68; 1 in 68 Star. Estimated Value $2,600 - 2,800. The Greenhill Collection. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $3,450
Lot 1469		1867 Liberty Seated Half Dime. NGC graded Proof 66 Cameo. White. This is a lovely, radiant near-Superb Gem, both sides being essentially untoned with frosty, silver-white luster for the devices, being contrasted by smooth mirror finish in the field on both sides. Judged from an aesthetic standpoint, the coin is also possessed of a much finer strike than is typically found for a half dime minted in 1867. A desirable Proof. 625 proofs minted. Pop 7; 3 finer; 1 in 66 Star; 1 in 67; 1 in 67 Star. Estimated Value $1,400 - 1,500. The Greenhill Collection. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $1,898
Lot 1470		1868 Liberty Seated Half Dime. NGC graded MS-64. Attractive iridescent toning with semi reflective surfaces. Estimated Value $700 - 800. The Greenhill Collection. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $1,208
Lot 1471		1873-S Liberty Seated Half Dime. NGC graded MS-65. A well struck gem with delicate light toning. Pop 33; 6 in 66 and 1 in 67. Estimated Value $500 - 550. The Greenhill Collection. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $834