Owner Comments:
The Draped Bust half cent featured an obverse design that also appeared on the large cent and U.S. silver coinage. The design was said to have been taken from a sketch by famed American portrait painter, Gilbert Stuart, of wealthy Philadelphia socialite, Anne Willing Bingham. The coins were produced in fairly large quantities for the period for most years from 1800 to 1808. No half cents were issued in 1801, and 1802 dated pieces are scarce.
This coin came from a hoard of several hundred pieces that the Chatman Brothers marketed in the early 1900s. The coins feature a large heavy “6” in the date and stems at the bottom of the wreath on the reverse. Mint State pieces from this hoard usually have red-brown surfaces, but are subject spotting. Many examples are also noted for a weakness in the strike at the top of the obverse.
During the time that your author was collecting half cents by die variety, he found that many of the circulated examples of this variety were unattractive. For that reason type collectors of more modest means might well consider purchasing one of the common varieties of the 1804 half cents for this slot in their set. The most common 1804 half, which is the plain 4, stemless wreath variety, was consistently well struck and has survived in quantity.