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1857-O

Variety 101

 Obverse 1: Doubled Date and Stars, High Date, Slight Downward Slope

Reverse A: Large O, [mm C,H,TL4], Shattered Die

        

Obverse 1                                                 Reverse A

 

Obverse Diagnostic Point(s)                   Reverse Diagnostic Point(s)

        

        

         

Comments: This variety required considerable research to formulate an opinion on the source of the date doubling. Ahwash indicates "The entire date has been doubled struck to the right and very slightly up". Greer presents "Faint repunching shows directly to the left of each final digit". Obverse 1, as presented, exhibits doubling on both the date and the stars. Stars 11 through 13 are strongly doubled north. There are no signs of obverse doubling on Liberty. After finding examples of Obverse 1 that DO NOT show date doubling (Variety 102), I conclude that the doubling seen on this variety is strike doubling. Reverse A appears to be in a later die state with significant amount of die cracking. At this time, I have been unable to locate an example of this reverse die in an earlier die state. The mintmark position measurements also include tilt to help facilitate comparisons with other 1857 reverse dies.

Plate Coin: G. Fortin Collection, AU55