Half Dimes From Old Orchard Collection Open for Bidding
The forgotten denomination of half dimes, the silver precursor to today’s nickel, is on display in Heritage’s auction of The Old Orchard Collection of Half Dimes. Bidding in this month-long auction is open now, continuing through a live session beginning at 6 PM CT (7 PM ET) on May 29.
The Old Orchard Collection features 133 coins, ranging from 1794 through the end of the series, with a majority in Mint State grades. As is all too common with older coinage that was freely used in circulation, some issues are all but impossible to locate in a Mint State grade, such as the 1846 half dime. No fewer than 10 examples of this low-mintage key date are offered in this collection, with the finest graded AU58 by NGC. The major grading services combined have seen fit to award Mint State grades to a mere four coins of the date, putting this attractive, colorful, blatantly original piece in the lower part of the condition census.
Other prizes for the Half Dime specialist include:
- 1794 H10C V-4, LM-4, XF40 PCGS
- 1796 H10C V-1, LM-1, VF30 PCGS
- 1805 H10C V-1, LM-1, VF25 PCGS
- 1838-O H10C No Stars AU55 NGC
- 1840-O H10C Drapery AU58 NGC
- 1853-O H10C No Arrows AU50 NGC
Coins in Early Holders Auction Set for June 8
Buy the slab, not the coin?
Not exactly, but the latest month-long auction from Heritage Auctions of US Coins in Early Holders focuses on those coins that have been encapsulated in PCGS or NGC holders for an especially long time. These coins have a reputation for being frequently undergraded, and the slabs themselves are popular, hence this offering. Bidding is open now at Coins.HA.com, continuing through a live session scheduled for June 8 at 6 PM CT.
Included are 324 lots of coins in PCGS Green Label holders, PCGS first-generation rattler or “clacker” holders, NGC “fatty” holders, NGC Green Label holders, and even a first-generation ANACS holder. 66 of the coins have received the CAC green label, designating them as among the finest of their numerical grade; another seven bear the coveted CAC gold label, signifying that CAC believes the coin to be undergraded by at least one point.
Colorfully illustrating the kind of coins to be found in this auction is an 1837 Capped Bust Half Dime, Large 5C, graded MS65 by NGC. This is a stunning Capped Bust type coin, with glistening original mint luster that yields ivory centers surrounded by amber and blue-green borders. Strike sharpness is outstanding. Close examination with a loupe reveals essentially flawless fields, with nearly equal preservation of Liberty’s cheek. The coin is housed in a prior generation holder and is undergraded by at least one point according to CAC, which has awarded this piece the coveted Gold label.
A few of the additional highlights of this auction include:
- 1860 3CS MS66 PCGS. CAC
- 1892-CC $1 MS64 PCGS
- 1877-CC $20 AU50 PCGS
- 1904 $20 MS65 NGC
- 1922-S $20 MS63 PCGS. CAC
- 1923-D $20 MS66 PCGS
- 1900 $1 Lafayette Dollar MS65 PCGS. CAC
Bid on these coins, plus the Old Orchard Collection of half dimes, now at Coins.HA.com.
