Lot 2411

Plain edge. Illustrated in Appendix A of Judd. The edge has some light file marks and traces of flattened reeding. Almost certainly the edge markings were part of the process to create a more or less round blank. Glossy chocolate brown with traces of orange lustre around most devices. A few trivial surface marks are present. All design elements are slightly doubled. This obverse die was not used for any 1822 half dollars currently known. Perhaps the curved crack across Miss Liberty occurred during die production with the result deemed unsuitable for coinage.

The following was said about this item by Adams and Woodin: "Obverse of regular die of the year. Reverse blank. Copper. Plain edge. The statement was made in the McCoy catalogue that there were three restrikes made just previous to the destruction of the dies." In the sixth edition of Judd, it is noted: "Similar to but not exactly the regular die (A-W 34) Copper. Three known 1) Witham, ex-Judd, Farouk, McCoy. 2) Ex-Rarcoa. 3) Sidney Smith."

Andrew W. Pollock, III listed this in his section of privately issued restrikes, where it most certainly belongs. In his pattern reference, Pollock provides seven different listings, however, some are duplicate entries:

1. Bowers and Ruddy, Garrett sale, November 1979, Lot 361. This was purchased for the Garrett Collection from W. Elliot Woodward's 46th sale. From the Garrett Collection, it was purchased by half dollar specialist Charlton E. Meyer and is the coin illustrated in Pollock's reference.

2. Bowers and Ruddy, Paxman Sale, November 1974, Lot 1034. Clearly different than the preceding, or the example offered here. Sharply double struck with the date clearly reading 18822.

3 and 4. Rarcoa, July 1981, Auction '81, Lot 306. The example offered here and also illustrated in the Judd reference.

A. Byron Reed Collection, Omaha City Library. Reed was a collector in the late 19th century, thus it is not possible that this is the same as any of the above and represents a fourth example.

B. L.S. Werner; American Numismatic Society. Received by the Society in 1977. This or the next may be the Paxman coin, but cannot be any of the others.

C. ANS. A second example received by the Society in 1977.

This listing indicates at least five, and possibly six distinctly different examples known today. Therefore, the statement in Adams-Woodin, from the McCoy catalogue, about three being restruck before the dies were destroyed, is clearly not accurate. Of course, the fact that this was even mentioned in the McCoy catalogue, a sale that was held in 1864, helps provide an estimated time of manufacture.

A curved die crack from just above star 4 crosses Miss Liberty's hair curls over her forehead, through her headband, finally disappearing in the field just left of star 10. Considerable fine die rust is visible in the fields.