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1796 50C 15 Stars--Repaired--ANACS. VG8 Details. O-101 1796

Currency:USD Category:Coins & Paper Money / US Coins Start Price:20,000.00 USD Estimated At:1.00 - 1,000,000.00 USD
	1796 50C 15 Stars--Repaired--ANACS. VG8 Details. O-101 1796
<B>1796<50C> 15 Stars--Repaired--ANACS. VG8 Details.</B></I> O-101, R.5. The Draped Bust Small Eagle half dollar, that bears the date 1796 or 1797, is one of the premier rarities in United States numismatics. Its paltry mintage of 3,918 pieces, and relatively low survival rate (likely fewer than 300 examples), makes it a highly desirable item among type and early half dollar collectors. The 1796 issue consists of two varieties, 15 stars (Overton 101) or 16 stars (Overton 102).<BR> The 1796 15 star specimen that we offer in this lot displays silver devices that are highlighted against mauve and bluish fields that take on deeper gunmetal-gray around portions of the borders. While most of the design elements lack internal detail (though some definition is visible in the back of Liberty's flowing hair, on the breast drapery, and in the eagle's wing feathers), they are strongly outlined and differentiated from the fields. This specimen exhibits the typically-seen die crack from the rim at 5 o'clock that makes a right turn in the drapery and then connects stars 15, 14, and 13. No adjustment marks are visible on either side. Three shallow, toned-over light scratches in the central reverse may help to identify the coin. On the obverse, Liberty's portrait has been subjected to some sort of abrasive (perhaps in an attempt to remove what looks like a shallowly engraved "P") that has left several mostly-vertical, hairline-like scratches that are visible under high magnification.<BR> Advanced numismatists seeking a 1796-1797 half dollar for her/his type set or early half dollar collection should give serious consideration to this piece, despite the stated impairments. Many coins of this vintage possess flaws of one sort or another, some of which are considerably more evident than seen on the present example. Indeed, when viewed only with the naked eye, the blemishes on this piece are