Lot 29
1795 C-5b R4 Plain Edge without Pole on Thick Planchet G6. Struck over an Off Center 1795 S-76b Large Cent. Sharpness VG10 but there is an attempted hole at BE in LIBERTY. Otherwise this piece is smooth and very attractive, just some very thin rim cuts on the reverse from choice. Very attractive glossy chocolate brown. LDS. The die crack and swelling on the reverse are strong. This piece was struck over an off center 1795 S-76b large cent, and bold evidence of the cent remains clearly visible on both sides. The cent details are essentially untouched by the half cent dies. That's because the area struck by the cent dies is thinner than the unstruck portion of the planchet, and the half cent dies didn't quite reach the cent details. Apparently the strike pressure used on the large cent was stronger than that used for the half cent. This may be a result of the cent being struck off center so the force employed on that strike was concentrated on only a portion of the planchet thereby squeezing it to a significantly reduced thickness. Regardless, the result is that this piece displays more of the spoiled cent impression than nearly all those known with visible cent undertype and the cent attribution is easy as a result. (Note: Several die varieties of 1795, 1797, 1800, and 1802 half cents are known to have been struck on cut-down planchets of spoiled US large cents or Talbot Allum & Lee Cents, and in a few cases they were struck on copper die trial strikes of 1794 and 1795 half dollars. The mint did this to utilize the rolled copper, which was a scarce commodity. Therefore, because the planchet source was intentional, half cents that display undertype from these previously struck cents or die trials are not "errors" in a technical sense.) Weight 108.3 grains. Davy #95.5b.4.
Estimated Value $1,000-UP.
Ex Jules Reiver 10/3/85.
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| Realized $3,565 |
