1809/6  C-5  R1  MS63.  Overdate 9 over 6 (or inverted 9).   A lustrous and beautiful gem.  The mahogany toning is consistent and undisturbed by contact.  Well struck on the portrait and wreath, some left side stars not completely brought up by the dies.  A late die state with dentil detail only crisp along the lower reverse.  Mint-made clashmarks are seen near the T in CENT.  Choice.  Manley state 3.0.  Removed from an NGC slab graded MS65BN (#308213-001, population 1/0).  The NGC label shows the attribution.  As of 10/05, this is the single finest NGC certified 1809/6 half cent.  The service has certified a different piece as MS64RB.  Ex Heritage 1/4/06:526-Michael Spurlock.

 M&G assessment:  Concur.  Lustrous steel brown and chocolate with a peep of faded mint color showing through on the obverse.  Satiny and flawless.  The overdate is a bit dull from die wear but remains obvious.

 1809  C-6  R1  MS60+.   Glossy medium brown color with reflective surfaces.  There is a light nick on the chin and a very light hairline under the eye.  There are very light marks near stars 1, 2, 5, and 9.  There is a very small and light hairline above the L in HALF.  ED in UNITED and all of STATES are weakly struck as are the next-to-highest set of leaves.  The dentilation is also weak in this area.  Manley state 1.0.  Removed from a PCGS slab graded MS63BN (#21188865, population 16/9 for all of the date).  Ex Jack Beymer 11/12/05-Michael Spurlock.

 M&G assessment:  MS60.  Frosty steel brown with peeps of faded red on both sides.  No spots, only a light nick on the neck.  Nice for the grade.

 
1810  C-1  R1  MS64.   Choice.  The Brobston lot description called this piece an Uncirculated gem with almost full mint red on both sides.  The stars on the right and corresponding portion of the reverse are weakly struck, as usual.  Equal to the Dupont coin in strike but a trifle more mint color.  Extremely rare in this condition.  Now removed from an NGC slab graded MS65RB (#1608736-001, population 1/0).  The highest slab grade for any 1810 half cent.  The reverse is rotated 45 degrees CCW.  This coin placed third behind the Tettenhorst and McGuigan examples at the EAC Half Cent Happening.  Ex Joseph Brobston, Stack’s FPL 1/63-Louis Helfenstein, Lester Merkin 3/6/68:130-Richard Picker-Tony Terranova-Howard Barron 8/13/05-Ed Fuhrman 2/25/06-Michael Spurlock.

 M&G assessment:  MS63.  Lustrous light bluish steel brown with 10% of the slightly faded underlying mint color remaining on the obverse, 20% on the reverse.  The only defect is a small spot at the dentils at D-S.  Great eye appeal.

 1810  C-1  R1  MS60.   The Norweb example.  Beautiful pink-gold color fills the reverse and the left obverse, while hints of olive hues grace the right obverse.  This lustrous and unmarked near gem is well struck in the centers and on the left borders.  The right borders show moderate incompleteness of strike, as usual for the date.  A high grade example with a significant pedigree.  Choice.  Removed from an NGC slab graded MS64RB (#1938603-001, population 1/1).  The second highest slab grade for any 1810 half cent.  Ex Richard Picker-Norweb Collection, Bowers & Merena 10/12/87:66-unknown-Jack Beymer-unknown-Heritage 1/3/2006:526-Michael Spurlock.

 M&G assessment:  Choice Mint State but dipped and retoning.   Frosty slightly faded red mellowing to light bluish steel brown.

1811  C-1  R6  EF40+.  4-Star Cud.   This is the 4-star break, a highly desirable and important die state for the 1811 C-1 variety.  The reverse, which was reused for Cohen-2, clearly shows the usual numerous die striations and die scratches.  This example has wonderful golden brown and sea-green color on both sides.  The reverse has a weak area at TED-S, exactly opposite the massive obverse die break.  A small oval depression between the bases of D and S on the reverse will serve as a pedigree marker.  In addition, light corrosion and verdigris is visible on both sides, but this is not of a serious nature.  The terminal die state is actually much more plentiful than the 2-star die state, and it is available in much higher grades.  This is the Manley plate coin for the terminal die state, his die state 5.0.  Removed from an NCS slab graded AU details, environmental damage.  Later removed from a PCGS slab graded EF45.  Ex Jim McGuigan 7/10/84-Jules Reiver, Heritage 1/24/06:19039-Jim McGuigan/Tony Terranova/Chris McCawley 3/17/06-Michael Spurlock.

 M&G assessment:  EF45 net EF40.   Frosty dark bluish steel brown and chocolate with microscopic roughness under the patina.

1811  C-2  R3  VF35.   Steel brown coin.  Above average surfaces for the variety.  There is a small hairline on star 5.  The left obverse and reverse are weakly struck.  There is a very small nick above L in HALF and a faint hairline above NT in CENT.  EDS, die state 1.0.  Removed from an NGC slab graded AU50BN (#2032686-013, population 2/2), and from a PCGS slab graded EF40 (#22054393, population 8/21).  Ex Harry Laibstain 4/27/05-Michael Spurlock.

 M&G assessment:  Concur.  Glossy dark chocolate and olive brown.  There is a small spot of microscopic roughness at the dentils below the bust tip.  Otherwise mark-free.