1839 Liberty Seated Half Dollar. No Drapery. WB-1. Rarity-3. VF Details--Cleaned

1839 Liberty Seated Half Dollar. No Drapery. WB-1. Rarity-3. VF Details--Cleaned (PCGS). Gobrecht's Liberty Seated design came last to the half dollar, three years after its introduction on the silver dollar, two years after it appeared on the dime and half dime, and a year after its adoption for the quarter dollar. Since 1836, half dollars had featured Gobrecht's reworking of the earlier John Reich design, with a capped bust of Liberty on the obverse and an eagle on the reverse, along with the eponymous reeded edge. In 1839 the familiar bust gave way to the new Liberty Seated motif, depicting Liberty seated upon a rock and looking over her right shoulder, while a modified version of the familiar eagle motif was retained on the reverse. Of particular importance to type collectors, the No Drapery design was used only in 1839 and for just a portion of that year before drapery was added at Liberty's elbow. The Koenings Collection extends beyond the Reeded Edge halves to include all seven recognized die marriages of the 1839 Liberty Seated half dollar: four of the No Drapery type and three With Drapery. Each of the seven employs a reverse die unique to its respective pairing. The present WB-1 displays glossy surfaces, bold VF detail, and no individual marks worthy of mention. The reverse die cracked early in its use, and the resulting crack is present on all known examples, including the Proof strikes of this date, which employed the same dies. The prominent bisecting crack extends from the rim through the R of AMERICA, across the eagle's wing, and through the olive leaves to the opposite rim. Another crack connects the bottoms of the letters in the lower reverse legend; on the present coin, it is most readily seen between the F and D of HALF DOLLAR. Provenance: From the Jim Koenings Collection. PCGS# 572000. BASE PCGS# 6230. NGC ID: 24GK. Click here for certification details from PCGS. Image with the PCGS TrueView logo is obtained from and is subject to a license agreement with Collectors Universe, Inc. and its divisions PCGS and PSA.

Estimate:£0.75

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