1849 50C WB-6, FS-301 Dramatically Doubled Date VG10 认证号19693958, PCGS号409890

Ron Guth

One of the most popular varieties among the Seated Liberty Half Dollars is the Repunched Date of 1849.  This variety, identified as FS-301 in the CherryPicker's Guide, shows clear remnants of all four digits of the date to the left of the final punching.  Apparently, the die sinker punched the date into the die too far left of center, then corrected it.  Some attempt may have been made to efface the offending digits, as only their bases remain.  This is one of those "arms-length" varieties that can be seen with the naked eye, even on well-worn examples.

How rare is it?  The Cherry-Picker's Guide call it URS-6 (17-32 known), which seems about right.  In a quick search, we found six demonstrably different examples, four of which are imaged above.  The finest example is clearly the NGC MS64 (formerly of the Dick Osburn and Eugene Gardner collections, and which sold in a 10/2014 Heritage sale for $9,400).  What can be said for sure is that this variety is extremely rare in Mint State.