By James McCartney – Senior Numismatist, Stack’s Bowers ……
The 1815/2 half dollar is a significant key date in the Capped Bust, Lettered Edge series.
Struck from a single die pair, it is the only 1815-dated half dollar, subjecting it to incredible demand for those building a date set of halves. Just 47,150 examples were struck, dramatically fewer than the 1,039,075 produced in 1814 and the 1,215,567 struck in 1817. No half dollars were struck in 1816.
The War of 1812 and the associated burning of Washington, D.C. by the British on August 24, 1814 caused considerable economic upheaval and uncertainty in the United States. Coins were hoarded by the public and, with no silver bullion being deposited at the United States Mint, half dollar coinage came to a halt sometime in late 1814 or early 1815.
However, by the end of 1815, the economic situation had stabilized to the point where silver deposits once again began arriving at the Mint. To allow coinage to resume as soon as possible, Mint employees retrieved an unused 1812-dated die, punched a 5 over the 2, and used it to strike the entire half dollar production for that year.
We are proud to offer an exceptional VF-35 (PCGS) CAC 1815/2 half dollar in lot 94043 of our September 2020 Collectors Choice Online (CCO) Auction. Original dove-gray surfaces display golden and navy blue iridescence at the borders, accented by considerable mint luster in the protected areas. The strike is uniform, with strong definition on the focal elements. Overall smooth, this superior CAC-approved circulated example is sure to attract specialists and type collectors alike.
This VF-35 (PCGS) CAC 1815/2 half dollar is presented as part of the E. Horatio Morgan Collection in our September Collectors Choice Online Auction. First offered in a series of sales beginning in 2019, we are thrilled to offer further duplicates from this cabinet in our September 2020 auction. These coins from the E. Horatio Morgan Collection are now available for viewing and bidding on our website www.StacksBowers.com and will close with a live auctioneer on September 10. Contact our experts today to feature your collection in an upcoming Collectors Choice Online event. Call 800-566-2580 or e-mail [email protected].
