| Description |
1846 50C 6 Over Horizontal 6 AU58 NGC. WB-104, FS-301. Ex: "Col." E.H.R. Green. Although not rare, this variety is very popular with collectors and in demand as a famous anomaly. The date has the 6 repunched over an earlier punched horizontal 6 (punched in counterclockwise at 90 degrees). Liberty Seated scholars have long puzzled over this mispunching. During this period, the Philadelphia Mint made most working dies by impressing the date with a four-digit logotype punch. With either a single or multiple blows of the hammer and punch, the date should have been impressed into the individual working die without error. Difficulties with this process caused the other famous misplaced dates including the 1844-O Doubled Date, the 1845-O Tripled Date, the 1847/6, all with four-digit anomalies. On this 1846/Horizontal 6 variety, the date was impressed with both a three-digit and a single six-digit punch, not a single four-digit punch. Why this variance from the four-digit punch is unknown. Late-die examples of this variety, including most known today, have a double rim cud below the date. The Newman coin does not, making it a rare early die state. Scrutiny of early die state examples of this obverse die show more than one underlying digit. There are possibly as many as four weaker 6s punched at various angles. Consequently, this coin deserves additional study. This Choice AU half dollar has very attractive steel-gray, blue, and amber toning over lustrous fields. There are a number of field abrasions but none serious. The only one of any note is a thin, curved mark near star 13. The reverse has many die cracks, as all do, through the legend and denomination, most notably from the U(NITED) to the rim by the left wing and another to the rim below the denomination. This is a wonderful coin that would fit well into any Liberty Seated half dollar collection. Census: 8 in 58, 8 finer (10/13). Ex: "Colonel" E.H.R. Green; Green Estate; Partnership of Eric P. Newman / B.G. Johnson d.b.a. St. Louis Stamp & Coin Co.; Eric P. Newman @ $40.00; Eric P. Newman Numismatic Education Society.
Realized $2,702.50 . Description courtesy of Heritage Auctions, ha.com. |
