Lot 2061
1845 Liberty Seated Half Dime. PCGS graded MS-65. The date on this one is sharply doubled, and for many years was reported to be an overdate of 5 over 3. Examination now finds that this is a recutting error in the date. As to the coin itself, it is particularly nice with rose gold and blue toning on the obverse, and reddish gold on the reverse over mint luster. While PCGS and NGC do not designate this variety as a separate entry in their Population Reports, it is likely one of the finer ones known of the popular double date.
Breen believes that the abundance of double dates, triple dates, misplaced dates from 1844 to 1849 was caused by James Barton Longacre, who secured the Mint Engravership position via Senator John C. Calhoun. The prior Mint Engraver, Christian Gobrecht, had died in July 1844, and Longacre went around normal Mint procedures and obtained the Engravership, at the behest of the old line Mint families, the Eckfeldts, Peales, DuBois and Pattersons. Naturally, the Engravership position being handed to an outsider greatly upset the apple cart. Either Longacre was assigned the menial tasks of punching dates into dies, or his employees were silently protesting Longacre's position, and by failing in their work perhaps wanted him to be removed. Regardless of which speculation is correct, the truth may never be known for sure, but we have many fascinating coins with mispunched dates to ponder.
Estimated Value $1,000-UP.
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| Realized $1,150 |
