This is a tremendous resource for collectors who want to avoid the pitfalls of counterfeit half cents. Special thanks to [jyoung5050]!

https://coinweek.com/struck-counterfeit-coin-of-the-week-1805-c-4-half-cent-1-page-attribution-guide/

This is lovely C-4 from Ed's profile page. Who knows how I know this?

1855 - The ideal date for a Braided Hair Type Coin!

Yesterday I shared my new counter-stamped 1855 half cent; primarily to get information to better understand it (thanks to all that responded to my inquiries). However, there were further discussions about the 1855 half cent itself... "Are there a lot of unc 1855 half cents?"

YES! The 1855 is likely the most common half cent to find in high grade. There are more full red uncirculated 1855 half cents than any other date. If you are looking for a Braided Hair half cent for type, I would recommend this date over any other. Good Luck, and hope you find one you love!!!!

Here is my example for the date in PCGS64RB(CAC). I love it

I saw this 1855 in NGC62, and liked it a lot. It's been counter-stamped, "G. Clark Phila". Further research pulled up a January 3, 2021 Stacks Auction listing with the following description (not my exact coin, but the exact counterstamp on another 1855 HC):

"1855 Half Cent, G. CLARK / PHILA., AU Host; AU Counterstamp. Brunk C-508, Rulau Pa 713. Curved prepared punch. A dozen coins are listed, all on 1855 half cents. G. Clark counterstamps are remarkably high-quality for a blacksmith mark. Most examples were counterstamped on Uncirculated or nearly Uncirculated 1855 half cents; subsequently, most of those coins circulated in the local Philadelphia economy. Ex: Van Ormer Collection (Bowers and Merena, 9/1985), lot 2590."

This has me curious to learn more about the merchant. Does anyone know more about G.Clark? Address? Years in business? Does anyone know more than what is listed in the Stacks listing?

Book Review: "The Half Cent Handbook - Ultimate Attribution Guide" by Ed Fuhrman:

I own a lot of books about half cents; including all of the other books in Ed Fuhrman's half cent series. In addition to Fuhrman, I also have the Cohen, Breen, Manley and Eckberg books. Its safe to say, I have half cent varieties covered in my library. I found me asking myself, "Do I really NEED another book on half cents?" My answer was "no." BUT - curiosity got the better of me and I bought the book anyway.

When it arrived, I quickly knew I made a great purchase. Here is why this book will be my go-to when hunting half cents:

- It's small in size - this spiral-bound edition does not get into any of the history, nor does it give you anecdotal information about the coins or conditional rarity. This is simply a no-nonsense book to get a collector to quickly and accurately attribute half cents. This book can easily be stuffed in a show-bag for quick carry and access.
- Photo quality - i cringe when I buy an attribution guide and open it to find crudely drawn pictures of the coins. This book provides large, hi-definition photos in color. I love that.
- It's easy to use - You will not have to be an expert to start using this book, but you will become one. As stated above, all of the half cent varieties are included, and there is no need to flip between books to find what you need.
-It's affordable - building a numismatic library can be very expensive. It is not uncommon for specialty books to be $100, $200, or more. This book is $50, so its a great way to build some knowledge without a large financial investment (besides, the money you would make/save in your first "cherry-pick" would likely pay for this book a few times over :))

Summary - If you are looking for a portable, user-friendly guide to quickly attribute varieties as you hunt for coins, I cannot think of a better companion book. This book will not take the place of the others to get deeper historical knowledge of the series, but what it lacks in historical depth, it more than compensates in terms of quality, portability and ease of use.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in half cent attribution - regardless of the size of your existing half cent library.

Do you own this book? Please comment and let the group know your take!!!

My father-in-law gifted me this coin for my birthday earlier this year. He knew I collected half cents, and saw this one at a flea market in his home town. He was thrilled when I told him that this 1828 was one of the "cooler" varieties in the series due to the engraver only placing 12 stars in the field - not 13 (C-2, R.1). He cherry-picked one for me, and didn't even know it! You have to love that

[Sorry for the duplicate post. Trying to keep half cent information within the group for easier access]

"Half Cents don't get more rare over time." This was a hard concept for me to grasp... I mean, sure they do, right? People lose coins, they get damaged; ruined.

While all this may be true... collectors can also assume that there are many raw examples or old collections that have yet to come to market. A single known example drops in rarity by 50% when just one other is found.

Half cents are no different. The attached chart shows the relative rarity of half cent varieties in 1960, 1985 and 2017. You can see the downward trend in rarity as new examples are discovered and better documented.

They are still out there - Happy Hunting!

Here is another great YouTube video from the ANA Learning Academy presented by Franklin Noel. This video describes half cent designs, dates and die varieties and ties-in history in a meaningful way. Thanks to ANACoins and Franklin Noel for this great information!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBRdHBROKMw

1850 C-1 (NGC MS62BN).

[This is the key date to the braided hair half cents. This coin is VERY challenging to find with original red color, and price guides go "out the window" when they surface. I was happy to pickup this lovely brown example from TheCoinGeek (Thanks). ]

"Half Cents don't get more rare over time." This was a hard concept for me to grasp... I mean, sure they do, right? People lose coins, they get damaged; ruined.

While all this may be true... collectors can also assume that there are many raw examples or old collections that have yet to come to market. A single known example drops in rarity by 50% when just one other is found.

Half cents are no different. The attached chart shows the relative rarity of half cent varieties in 1960, 1985 and 2017. You can see the downward trend in rarity as new examples are discovered and better documented.

They are still out there - Happy Hunting!

Are you a Half Cent expert and have some knowledge to share? Are you a budding collector with lots of questions? Do you wonder if your coin is a rare variety? Do you wonder if it's counterfeit? Join the Half Cent group and let's talk about America's greatest little coin!!!

1809 C-3 (NGC MS63BN)

[Note: Early Classic Head half cents (1809-1811) are challenging to find in high grade. This is largely do to the the 14-year break in production from 1911-1925, causing coins from 1809-1811 to do a lot of work in commerce.]

Today is "new token day." My "collection" of CWTs has doubled (I now have two). Special thanks to DeadCatWaltz for selling me this beautiful token!

1863 OH165CN-2a. B. Kittredge Dealers in Military Goods, Copper. Ex. Steve Tannenbaum and Fuld Plate Coin (NGC MS64RB).

1854 C-1 (PCGS MS64RB)