1837 no stars Capped Bust half-dime, AU-50
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AU 50 |
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| 1837 | H10C |
Stock #: G-1837-52
Price: $750
The 1837 Seated Liberty half-dime with no stars on the obverse is not a rare coin, whether attributed as a so-called “small” or “large” date. What many collectors may not realize is that what distinguishes the two varieties is not the relative size of the digits, but rather the shape of the top serif of the numeral “1” in the date. The “small date” features a straight serif, whereas the first digit for the “large date” displays a fancy curved serif. The present coin is the former example, but this is not your usual plain-Jane AU coin! On the contrary, the quality of the coin offered here today is underscored by two distinguishing characteristics that place it well above the average example in terms of eye-appeal. First, the strike is excellent, throughout the devices, though some die crumbling is evident at the edges. Second, and more immediately apparent, the surfaces have acquired natural, scrumptious toning that is patterned differently across each side. The obverse faces up as being primarily ice-blue, with an undercurrent of mellow-yellow, gold and crimson colors pulsing below the date. The reverse establishes more of a typical album pattern, with an ocean-blue middle that is encircled by chartreuse, magenta and true-blue accents. Very pretty! Finally, although this half-dime faces up as being substantially nicer than just the AU-50 grade assigned by ANACS, a full description is required to note a few surface abrasions, including a couple of intermittent pinscratches across the obverse, but the simple fact is that the aesthetic effect of the color overshadows this shortcoming.
