1818 Half Eagle

HBCC#:

3131

Breen#:

6472

BD#:

3

Judd#:

n/a

Pollock#:

n/a

This variety represents another engraving blunder with D in the denomination punched over an errant 0. Walter Breen suggested the engraver mistakenly thought he was preparing a half dollar die, then corrected his mistake. Equally likely, the engraver picked up the wrong punch, only realizing his mistake after punching the 0 in the die, then correcting it with a D. All we can be sure of is that no surviving documents tell us which scenario is correct. This variety was recognized at least as early as 1906 in the Chapman Brothers sale of the H.P. Smith Collection.

Provenance:

From the Bowers and Merena Galleries sale of the Norweb Collection, Part I, October 1987, Lot 769.

Obverse:

Reverse:

Commentary:

"Obverse: Regular star punch. First 8 centered over space between two denticles. Star 13 to right of 8, beneath and touching lowest hair. Minute die center punch lump in front of ear. No clash. Reverse: D of 5 D over 0 (blunder). First S centered over E. 5 has flat top - punch used in 1815, and for earlier reverses. On all examples seen of this die combination, the reverse impression is rotated 30 degrees clockwise from normal."