Gawain O'Connor submitted the following question relating to a photo produced by Superior Stamp and Coin Co. of a rare variety
of U.S. half dollar described in the book by Al Overton, Early Half Dollar Die Varieties, 1794-1836. Can anyone help? -Editor
The International Bank Note Society, Vancouver chapter, hosted a “white elephant” fund-raiser sale at their Christmas party and I picked up some
lots of old auction catalogs. Looking through them, the description of Lot 867 caught my attention. It said:
1795. Overton 130; 7 berries left, 10 right; O first cut sideways, then corrected. Very Good, a few details more like Fine; right half of
obverse rough, probably from sea water, as the left part (which we may suppose to have been protected by another coin) is entirely normal. Reverse is
clean, evenly worn, without any defects worth mention. Listed as R-6, but evidently near the top of that level; so rare that Overton never
illustrated one, its reverse (U) being one of only five reverses of 1795 (reverses A, D, P and Q being the others) not pictured in any combination.
Important enough as such, we believe, so that extra photos of this coin will be furnished on request, at nominal cost, to bidders wishing to insert
them into their copies of Overton’s book. PHOTO
from Superior Stamp and Coin Co., Inc. Auction Sale - Part 3 October 1, 2, 3, 4 1973 (Clarke E. Gilhousen collection)
My second edition of Overton (1970) did not have this photo added. Does anyone have a copy that
does? I haven’t checked to see if Superior still has extra photos available…
The 1795 O-130 is now considered an R-5 and later editions include illustrations, but I am still impressed with the generosity of the original
offer to share numismatic information.
Wayne Homren, Editor
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